The East Windsor school district has a plan in the event of a terrorist attack.
By: David Pescatore
HIGHTSTOWN The war in Iraq is well under way and Homeland Security has set the cruise control to "Orange," or high alert. With all of the events in the Middle East and the constant threat of retribution, the East Windsor Regional School District is constantly revising its emergency response plans.
"I am meeting almost daily to review our crisis management plan with district administrators or the staffs at the individual schools," said Interim Chief School Administrator James M. Sheerin, pointing to a heavily worn, 4-inch binder marked "Crisis."
Dr. Sheerin said each of the district’s six schools has a one-day supply of water and shelf-stable food. That supply will be raised next week to accommodate three days’ needs to sustain a prolonged student lockdown. The supplies also could be used in the event that a school was declared a shelter for people displaced from their homes during an emergency.
Dr. Sheerin said the district could not possibly plan for every possible situation, but that it is creating plans for three general situations.
First, is a student lockdown. Students would be confined in their classrooms until the emergency passed. The middle and high school will be practicing drills similar to those conducted by schools after the Columbine massacre. Classroom doors would be locked and any window coverings drawn. Students would remain in the rooms, away from any windows, until told that the situation was clear.
The district also has plans to move the student population to a centralized location within the school if it was determined to be in the best interest of student safety. Neither the district, nor the school principals would say where the students would be gathered, saying that the secrecy of the location was vital to the plan.
Lastly, each school has plans for evacuating the building and reconverging at a nearby location. These plans are essentially the same as the procedure used in case of fire. McKnight School Principal Martin Barlow said that based on past fire drills, the building could be emptied in about a minute.
These measures would be used in the event that the Department of Homeland Security were to declare a "Threat Level Red." This would only be done under a severe threat of terrorist attack. The declaration would be specific to an area, not national, and is not intended to be sustained for substantial periods of time.
According to the state’s Web site, the code Red likely would include the declaration of a statewide "state of emergency," with specific instructions broadcast over radio and television stations. The state’s Department of Education also would be in contact with the district to ensure that the proper measures are being taken.
Dean Raymond, Hightstown’s emergency management coordinator, has suggested that students carry a "convenience kit," including a small amount of food, water, a change of clothes, and a book or deck of cards. The supplies could be used if the student were delayed in a car or bus.
The district has not made such a recommendation. Dr. Sheerin specifically asked that students not keep food in their lockers due to potential health and sanitation problems. He said the schools are amply supplied to cover the needs of their students.
"Parents should make sure that all contact information on file is current," Dr. Sheerin said.
He said parents should be aware that the children would be cared for in the event of an emergency and that the school’s role during a local or national crisis is to act on the parents’ behalf to ensure each child’s safety.
The district has current information available on its Web site, www.eastwindsorregionalschools.com and on its cable television Channel 27. Information also is available at www.njhomelandsecurity.com.