Millburn Looks To Improve 'Great Security Protocols'

MILLBURN, NJ - The Millburn School District is looking to improve district security, as a consulting firm says their current protocols are "great," according to Superintendent Christine Burton.

Errol Brudner, from Stonegate Associates, LLC, shared a summary of the results of their recent audit of the school district’s security and emergency management systems.

"Top takeaway is that Millburn has great security protocols in place, especially compared to other districts," Burton said. "He also presented recommendations for options to enhance safety. The Board of Ed is reviewing those recommendations, and looking at ways to implement them."

The Millburn School District has implemented a number of successful initiatives, including some identified as a Best Practice:

• Security Officers are assigned to the High School and Middle School and have an excellent relationship with emergency responders.
• Forced-entry-resistant glazing (3M film) has been installed on doors and windows using an energy grant.
• The use of a student-built kiosk that tracks High School students as they leave and return from lunch electronically.
• The shades installed by the district in assisting staff and students with lockdowns and restricting the view of an intruder into the classroom from an interior corridor during a lockdown when necessary.
• Collaborative Response Graphics (CRG) are part of the MTSD emergency response procedures and are being
• integrated with wayfinding signs to assist emergency responders.
• South Mountain engages in a Teacher Training Program, having staff take photographs of emergency equipment to become familiar with the locations.
• Hartshorn and South Mountain utilize bathroom signs to remind students actions to take during a lockdown.

The District is also implementing the Sandy Hook Promise “Say Something” program which teaches students, grades 6-12, how to look for warning signs, signals and threats, especially on social media, from a peer who might be planning to hurt themselves or someone else and to say something to a trusted adult to get help and save a life.

“Emergency response cards,” that affix to staff ID cards, have been developed by the District Security Coordinator.

Sandy Hook Promise implementation is in progress: train students, educators, and school administrators on ways to identify, assess, intervene, and get help for those exhibiting at-risk behaviors through its Start With Hello, Say Something, and SOS Signs of Suicide programs.

According to the report, the Millburn School District has implemented a number of successful initiatives:

• Staff have attended the NJ Department of Education School Safety Specialist Training Program
• The Superintendent, Security Coordinator, all Principals and Security Officers demonstrated knowledge and commitment to the safety of students, teachers and schools.
• Vetting of visitors at all schools is utilized to prevent unauthorized entry
• The Police have attended drills in all schools and have increased patrols
• A new phone system has been installed district wide.
• Parent “drop boxes” are being using by various schools to control access.
• “Lockdown straps” have been installed on panic bars throughout the district
• Washington School has developed a security vestibule.
• Updated Risk Assessments completed in 2019

The full presentation can be viewed here.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your
local Patch site here. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter by clicking here. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading our Apple iOS app here, or by visiting the Google Play store for the Android app here.