Following the tragic massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., local school districts are reassuring parents about school security and expressing condolences for the Sandy Hook Elementary School community and the residents of Newtown.
In D.C. Friday afternoon, parents told News4 they couldn't fathom what victims' families must be going through.
Over the summer, D.C. principals received active shooter training on how to call police and lock down students.
"Our schools know the protocols for how they should proceed when there is an active shooter," Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said. "We've got emergency plans and policies in place. We've got a visitor policy. But at the end of the day, you just have to be real about the fact that these things happen."
Modern schools have more security systems, but no system is 100 percent effective, Henderson said.
Fairfax County Public Schools said it is vigilant and pays a great deal of attention to security due to its proximity to Washington, D.C. FCPS shared its emergency preparedness plan with parents and employees, including the following measures:
- Close coordination and emergency planning with Fairfax County police and fire departments.
- Comprehensive division-wide crisis management plan.
- Individual school crisis plans -- updated within the last 12 months -- that include evacuation, shelter-in-place, and parent reunification plans.
- Employee training in crisis management and communication.
- Strict visitor controls, including required employee and contractor IDs.
- Door access technology to aid in visitor control for all elementary and middle schools.
- In addition, we have Fairfax County police officers, as school resource officers, present in all secondary, high schools and middle schools; school-based security staffs in all secondary, high and middle schools; and uniformed security staff patrolling all elementary schools during regular school hours and all FCPS facilities after hours. While no methodology is fool-proof, FCPS is fortunate to be in an area where the school division and the county work together to take every precaution in the event of an emergency.
In Prince George’s County, police will have an increased presence in place at elementary schools Monday. Prince George's County Police Chief Mark Magaw said his department is monitoring the Newtown tragedy closely. They conducted a school shooting drill over the summer that included the school board and other county officials.
Montgomery County police also planned increased patrols of schools.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools assured its community of its network of security procedures and practices in place.
“To be clear, there is no plan that guarantees 100 percent safety to all students and staff in our schools in every situation,” read a statement from AACPS. “We continue, however, to put in place proactive measures that are prudent and reasonable to protect students and employees.”
"We have invested heavily in technology such as video intercom systems at main entrances to schools, and in electronic visitor tracking systems, which allow us to detect registered sex offenders who may try to gain access.
"Front office staff must buzz in visitors to our school buildings. At our newest schools, there is a double-door system that prevents direct access from the front door to hallways where classrooms are located.
"All of our schools run periodic emergency drills to familiarize students and staff with what to do in a variety of situations ranging from tornadoes to active shooters in buildings. This month’s drill, ironically, focused on an active shooter in the building.
"Our partnerships with law enforcement, emergency response agencies, and health departments have resulted in increased resources and supports for our students and employees. County police, for instance, had officers at almost all of our schools at dismissal Friday and will endeavor to do so again for arrival on Monday."
Photo Credit: AP