Trumbull Schools Release Some Security Measures

Schools Supt. Ralph Iassogna has released details of school security, including four responses to school emergencies.

After meetings with the public, police reviews of school sites and meetings with area superintendents, Iassogna released a letter to the public recently, outlining some of the district's plans.

The four responses to school emergencies will be:

• Stay Put: Primarily enacted when it is deemed students and staff should remain in their present location in the building; the Incident Commander (IC), usually the Principal, will announce the move to Stay Put, with students and staff not leaving their location until the IC’s command has been lifted.

• Lockdown: Primarily enacted when there is an immediate threat in or immediately around the school. This action is serious and all activities within the building are placed on “hold”. The campus is closed, with no one leaving the facility or entering the grounds. The Lockdown mode will remain in effect until release is personally given by designated personnel.

• Evacuation: Primarily enacted when locations outside the school are deemed safer than inside the building. Each facility has a designated Evacuation site for relocation and this site will be announced at the time of the incident to parents/community via various district and media outlets.

• Reunification: This component involves students being reunited with their parents in a specifically designated area, most likely off-site. This, too, will be announced via district and media outlets.

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Another measure is "individual school modifications and refinements have been enacted, ranging from Arrival/Dismissal procedures, enhanced use of access (swipe) cards, increased camera coverage and refined Stay Put, Lockdown and Evacuation protocols," Iassogna said.

Parents/guardians will report to site check-in locations, show proper identification and, after verification, the student is released to that adult.

More items will be presented and considered at the Feb. 5 or Feb. 26 Board of Education meeting.

Added Iassogna, "As you know, there can never be a 'fool-proof' solution that will address the many scenarios we may face. Please know that, as one of our security team members shared with me, 'we are in a good place with a solid security plan from which we can build upon and refine.'"