Campus Safety after CT shootings

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Hello - any school nurses out there involved in coming up with ideas for increased campus safety? I'm heading to a meeting with principals, the sup and local law enforcement this morning.

I have to say I'm not sure there is much we can do without making kids feel like they are in prison.

This is such a rare occurance . . and yet we want parents to feel they are leaving their kids in a safe place.

Any thoughts you'd like to share?

Thanks.

We didn't make any changes, per se, but tried to assure parents that we would be diligent in enforcing the policies that were already in place. Reminders that all parents/visitors must check into the office for a nametag. Anyone without a name tag should be questioned! We already have codes to open our building doors since our campus in general is "open" and people can enter from numerous areas. Our main thing is to keep classroom doors locked at all times. This has been a long time rule but I think staff tend to forget.

Specializes in kids.

We are a closed facility/campus.....buzz in, sign in/ name tags....Yet our front floor is ALL glass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and certainly not bullet proof! We were lucky to get some of it tinted so as not to blind the front office secretary. We do a couple of lockdown drills a year. I think we should one sooner than later...but I am not on the EPC committee this year.

We do the whole "everyone must sign into the front office and get a nametag", but we have NOTHING in place as far as having to be buzzed in or anything of that nature. The front door to our school is in front of the main office, but they are not connected. Someone could easily walk into the door and down any of the hallways without our secretary noticing. NOTHING against her, but no one can watch the door 100% of the time. It's a huge concern for me!

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

We work closely with our PD and have a uniformed officer do a random walkthrough at one point daily during the school day. This creates a presence. I've only been here since september and have yet to see how a lockdown is done, but it's in the works. They're also putting more cameras in that actually record as opposed to just transmitting to a screen. Visitors need to sign in and need to wear stickers and are now only allowed in through two points of entry.

Everyone's been empowered to stop and question any unmarked visitor - personally, i'd like to see the admins plant a few moles to see how many people actually do stop them.

The only change I have noticed is new visitor badges and signs around campus reminding visitors to check-in. My campus is completely open, there are 8 seperate buildings. Securing a campus like this would mean full-on prison fencing around our entire property.

Specializes in Nursing Education.

All visitors must be buzzed in and sign in etc. After our meeting before break, our prinicpal decided all doors that are on the hallways must remain locked at all times. Classrooms did this anyway, but not my clinic. So now even my clinic has to be locked from the hallway entrance. I am glad they are trying to improve safety etc, but it so annoying for me. I am interupted constantly to open the door ugh!

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Read a free 2008 article from NASN School Nurse:

How Well Prepared are Schools to Meet Disasters? School Shootings Require Response of Nontraditional Resources (Henning and Smithey)

Specializes in kids.

Flare

We have cameras as well and have done the "Mole" excercise with pretty good results....Everyone is expected to ask a person if they need help if they do not have a tag or are unfamiliar. We also have an SRO who now parks her cruiser in front of the building...feels good to me and the community has been receptive to it as well.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I am not a school nurse but I have children in school. IN our sleepy little town....(which I am sure will raise the budget next year) They have added an officers to the buildings that their job is to patrol....in uniform and armed. We did have a student bring a .22calibur rifle to the VocTech last year (my children are in the high school)

My children seem comforted...so am I.

We talked about a lot of things yesterday. There used to be what is called a "Resource Officer" on campus years back and then with budget cuts to Law Enforcement and the School District, there is no money for that. We've got 3 local patrolmen who have to cover a huge amount of area and response time can be over an hour depending. After vacation, for a few days, a cruiser was parked outside each campus (we have 11) off and on during the day. But there is no manpower to do that on a regular basis.

Our schools are spread out with many access points.

Most of the buildings are all windows, including the classrooms.

It is a tough nut to crack . . . .

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i did come up with what i deemed a perfect plan... you see, when this district hired me, they cut the clerical position that used to be in this office. So i figure if we can get an armed officer in the school, i still have an extra desk. The officer can make rounds for security... when not making rounds can be my clerk. the bonus is that the armed guard will cut down on unnecessary visits to my office. it's win win!!:up:

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