The Merrick Board of Education approved $200,000 out of the 2012-13 budget to be used to explore security enhancement for the district’s three elementary schools.
Parents had voiced concerns about school security with the board, and all staff was called in to review emergency response procedures.
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Upon entering buildings, visitors are required to give identification and are escorted by staff to their intended destination. All doors remain locked and options used for entrance to the buildings are restricted.
Also, administrators recently attended the Nassau County Police Department’s Active Shooter briefing.
The district has worked with Altaris Consulting Services regarding safety enhancements, and they have done a complete sweep of the district’s buildings. The following recommendations were made.
- Proximity Card Locks
- Door Ajar Warning
- Camera Positioning
- Alert/Lockdown/Panic Alarms
“They were extraordinarily thorough,” Superintendent Dr. Dominick Palma said. “They didn’t leave any stone unturned.”
The end result was a dedicated main entrance “greeter”, who would be trained on the district’s emergency protocols, custodial law issues, questioning protocols and conflict resolution.
Another addition was lockable vestibules where visitor confirmation occurs.
Then, a company named Intralogic Solutions was brought in to determine which technology improvements would be appropriate, and they deemed that surveillance camera coverages need to be upgraded. Also, some of the models need to be changed out as well.
They recommended door alarms for when doors are ajar for all doors, and the intercoms would be improved at exterior doors as well.
Next, a BBS architects and engineers completed a design evaluation for the vestibule, and completion would commence at the request of the board.
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