Ridgewood Public Schools New Security Protocols and Practices

file photo by Boyd Loving

March 2,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein outlines RPS security measures.Please take a moment to read a March 1 letter to the Ridgewood community on RPS security protocols and practices:

March 1, 2018
Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff and Members of the Ridgewood Community:
As the recent Parkland shooting has raised a number of worthy questions from our community members about school safety, I am writing today to address this important topic.
Across the district a highly developed safety plan and security protocols are in place at each of our buildings that are designed for both the prevention of, and response to, a variety of security breaches, including, but not limited to lone shooter incidents. Individualized to each school and regularly reviewed for effectiveness, the plan ranges from specific technology-based and mechanical installations like locked doors and web cams, to ongoing practice drills for our students and staff, and professional development. Regular training, evaluation and dialogue with Village of Ridgewood safety officials is another key component of the plan.

This closely coordinated effort is further buttressed by a safety curriculum that works in tandem with our goals for academic excellence and focuses on avoiding dangerous situations. We strive in the Ridgewood Public Schools to build a trusting environment in each building so that our students and staff feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns or knowledge that might impact school safety. We encourage open dialogue and consider the practice of “see something, say something” to be a valuable aspect of our safety plan.

The answer to the question, “Is my child safe?” is yes. Ridgewood schools are very safe. We work hard to provide a secure environment and continuously look to add precautionary measures and other enhancements that will bolster our safety standards and practices. We have a great relationship with Village emergency services professionals, whom we welcome at our practice drills and depend upon for feedback. Parents and guardians, staff and students can be reassured that children and staff are out of harm’s way when they enter our buildings each and every day. Safety is the foundation upon which our mission of excellence is built. Without it, our children cannot be free to fully engage in the learning process, nor are our teachers and staff able to do their jobs.

Of course, there is always room for improvement. In the wake of Parkland, we are again reviewing our protocols with our administrators, staff and students, as well as with the police department and other safety professionals. We will try to learn from that tragedy and implement any adjustments or measures that will further strengthen our security plan.

It is a good time to ask everyone to also look to improve their personal approach to safety. In order to maximize the effectiveness of our security measures and minimize human error, everyone must also do their part by respecting the rules, approaching our drills seriously, and also reporting any safety deficiencies — like open doors — to the building principal or my office. And, while our students and staff are very kind and considerate, opening doors for strangers entering our buildings greatly diminishes security and weakens our ability to enforce the requirement that all visitors report to the Main Office or sign-in area. Posting sensitive information on social media can also weaken our safety and potentially create danger.

The above measures constitute the broad strokes of a carefully created, deep-level plan for assuring the safety of our students and staff in the event of a school shooting, even as we know that events of this type are unlikely to occur and somewhat random. A list of more detailed ways the district seeks to provide a safe environment is also provided at the end of this letter.

I hope I have succeeded in allaying concerns about our district’s safety protocols and practices. It is also my hope that I need not address this issue ever again, while recognizing that a lot must happen before my hope becomes reality.

I look forward to further dialogue on this important topic and welcome suggestions on how we can optimize our partnership to make our schools as safe as possible while also continuing to be welcoming and supportive learning environments.

Thank you for your continued support of the Ridgewood Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Elements of the Ridgewood Public Schools Safety Plan
While a tragedy like Parkland is unlikely to happen in Ridgewood, we must be prepared as best we can. The Ridgewood Public Schools safety plan includes:
• A strong partnership with the Ridgewood Police Department, the Ridgewood Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management and other first responders up to the county level and beyond. The Ridgewood Board of Education, the Ridgewood Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office sign an annual Memorandum of Agreement that ensures partnerships, coordinates tactics and shares information. The Ridgewood Police Department partners with surrounding municipal police departments to practice “live fire” entrees in our schools several times a year, which have been proven effective during occasional false alarm incidents.
• Twice monthly training (one fire drill and one safety drill) for all students, faculty and staff. The value of these drills cannot be overemphasized; as seen in the Parkland shooting, they are effective in maintaining calm order and minimizing harm.
• Secure exterior entries: Locked exterior doors that are visibly numbered to aid swift emergency response; ID swipe card entry systems; exterior and interior police-accessible video surveillance cameras.
• Secure classrooms that are locked at all times and equipped with Voice over IP phone systems enabling calls for assistance and/or 911; exterior-facing classrooms numbered to aid swift emergency response; room signage and markings to aid students and staff during drills and emergencies.
• Share 911 software installed on staff cell phones for drills and emergency communication.
• Safety professionals: Recently established position of Safety/Security Director and recent hire of a school safety officer.
• Community partnerships: Formal reciprocal evacuation agreements with local houses of worship, schools and secondary sites; outreach to extend our lockdown software to local preschools; security guards posted at school voting sites on Election Day, in partnership with the Village of Ridgewood.
Planned improvements include:
• One-button lockdown solution with notification out at our fields and playgrounds, as well as signal strobe lights on exterior of buildings.
• Visitor “kiosk” software/badge systems for our schools, which will require 100% visitor sign-in at our offices.
• Re-establishment of the School Resource Officer positon with the Village.