St. James Catholic School Bolsters Safety Measures

Falls Church's St. James Catholic School is focusing on a number of initiatives to bolster security for the school community.

The latest addition is Safe Students Online, a program to alert parents of threats on social media. The program allows parents to monitor their children's social media activity for potentially dangerous posts and receive alerts to help them respond when needed. Parents of fourth to eighth grade students can use the tool this fall.

Other new initiatives for this school year include Guard911, allowing the school community to broadcast emergency messages instantly to each other. The school also has door jammers, which are installed at the bottom of a door into the floor to make it difficult for intruders to get in.

The school will install a Blue Light Lockdown Notification System in spring 2019
to give those inside and outside the school immediate notification of the presence of a dangerous intruder so they can evacuate or get behind a locked door.

Fr. Patrick Posey, pastor at St. James Catholic Church, explains the safety measures in a statement: "At Saint James, we are committed to providing a safe environment in which to educate our children, and where all those who come to find the sacred in Sacrament and community may recognize the face of Christ in each other."

The school keeps doors locked and other measures such as security cameras. School staff conduct drills of an emergency plan weekly.

The parish regularly consults with City of Falls Church Police Department and the City of Falls Church Emergency Management. The City provides annual security trainings for parish employees, including an active shooter scenario.

Falls Church Police Chief Mary Gavin recently nominated the school for "Employees/Community Heroes of the 3rd Quarter of 2018” due to its safety and security practices.

Images via Arlington Diocese