Like principals all across the country, Bromfield’s Scott Hoffman and Hildreth’s Josh Myler are checking and double-checking the safety measures at their schools. At the public library, where many students gather after school, Library Director Mary Wilson is also reviewing emergency procedures and security. All three described some of their security precautions in interviews with the Press earlier this week.
Schools check locks, update keys, and hold drills
At the Hildreth Elementary School, doors are locked from about 9 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. “I do a lap of the building to make sure” of door security each morning, Myler said. Hoffman said he did the same at Bromfield around 8 a.m., by which time all students should have arrived. Bromfield doors remain locked until dismissal at 2:20 p.m.
Both schools have buzzers at their main doors, so that visitors and late students need to ring for entrance. And in each case, that main door is within view of the administration office. The schools also have security cameras near exterior doors and in key traffic areas within the building, but not in classrooms or restrooms, both principals said.
But various community uses of the school buildings make security more complicated. Hoffman noted that people who want to buy Chef Paul Correnty’s soups on “soup day” will now have to be buzzed in at Bromfield’s main entrance, rather than going directly to the cafeteria door. And the buildings are often open for after-school events and meetings. At Bromfield, people generally use the entrance by Cronin Auditorium to attend plays, civic meetings, or events in the gym.
During the recent vacation week, all the Bromfield doors were rekeyed, with new keys issued to the teachers for the first time in many years. Hoffman said he expects the school to go to a card access system for exterior doors eventually. Bromfield teachers can also lock their classroom doors in case of emergency.
Classroom doors at the elementary school are lockable, too. During a safety drill last year, Myler said, teachers found some door locks that weren’t latching properly, and those have been repaired. A request for a capital appropriation to install more robust classroom locks was deferred until the town decides whether to build a new elementary school.
Both schools have drills for emergencies. A “hold in place” drill is one in which classes continue as usual, but no students are allowed in the halls. Hoffman explained that this procedure might be called for if someone had a serious fall or a sudden illness, and the halls had to be clear for an emergency medical team to arrive with a stretcher or other equipment.
The other type of drill is a lockdown, with all classroom doors locked and everyone away from doors and windows. The goal in a lockdown, Hoffman said, “is to make it look like no one is in the building.”
As for dealing with students’ emotional or psychological problems, the two schools take different approaches, given the different ages of their populations. Myler said he wants to allow parents to decide what younger students hear about events that are frightening or disturbing. But he said Hildreth teachers also watch for children who seem anxious or upset or who may want to talk about events that have been in the news.
Hoffman strongly emphasized “making connections with the kids,” so that teachers and administrators are aware of a student who may be having emotional or psychological difficulties. He said the school counseling staff is very effective.
Both principals expressed their very high regard for Police Chief Ed Denmark, who has said that officers can be at the school about two minutes after receiving an emergency call. “I have total trust in the police,” Hoffman said. Local police, he said, have worked to develop a good relationship with Bromfield students, regularly coming to teach classes on topics such as internet safety and self-defense. He noted that the officers have an open invitation to stop by for lunch in the cafeteria.
Asked if the school should have an armed guard, Hoffman said he would not object to a school resource guard. “I don’t object if it promotes a positive relationship between students, the school, and the police,” he said.
A library is open to all
Unlike Hildreth and Bromfield, which are locked during the school day, anyone can walk into the Harvard Public Library during its open hours. “A library is free and open to the public,” Wilson said. “That’s the beauty of a library, but it carries with it some risks.”
When school ends for the day, often 60 or more students head over to the library, which shares a campus with the schools. For students from fifth grade on, the library is a regular place to study, use the computers, see after-school movies, or attend book groups and other activities.
Wilson said she and the library staff members have had emergency training sessions with both Denmark and Fire Chief Rick Sicard. She recently asked the police chief to schedule another session as training for new staff members and a refresher for others.
The library has increased its number of security cameras recently as a precaution, Wilson said. The cameras allow staff to keep an eye on entrances and exits, as well as areas that are out of view from the desks. At the same time, the library is firmly committed to keeping all records of what patrons read or view confidential, she said.
Like the schools, the library benefits from being a short distance from the police station. If staff members feel they need assistance, Wilson said, they have several ways of quickly alerting the police.
