Security and Crisis Plan

While the Caldwell-West Caldwell Schools are located in an area of relative safety, it remains essential that we plan preventative measures for student and staff security and initiate responses if a safety violation occurs.

The Board of Education has made safety and security a priority district goal and has charged the administration to develop specific plans for implementation.  The following information summarizes the procedures that are currently enacted within our school and how they will affect parents.

1. Security Plan
2. Locked Doors

All exterior doors at Washington School  are locked at all times, unless maintained by a Staff Member. 

Entry to all buildings by parents during the school day is through the designated main entrance.

At Harrison School, all student occupied classrooms are locked from the outside and children are supervised by adults outside the classroom.

1. Visitor Access

At the elementary and middle schools, parents are directed to press a doorbell that will ring in the main office.  A camera at the entranceway transmits to a television monitor in the main office so that the office staff can see the parent.  Two-way communication allows for questioning before the door lock is released.  Parents entering the building will be directed to the main office to sign in, receive a Visitor’s Pass and confirm their appointment. (Due to COVID Procedures, parents will not be invited into the building at this time.)

1. Identification Badges

All district employees, including substitute teachers and contracted personnel, are required to wear identification badges during work hours to verify their status.

1. Crisis Plan

While our security plan attempts to prevent safety violations, our Crisis Management Plan directs the action to be implemented if a violation actually occurs.

Our Crisis Management Plan covers the following emergencies

1. Bomb Threat:
2. Suspicious Packages
3. Hazardous Materials/Toxic Spills
4. Disturbances/Demonstrations
5. Intruders in the Building
6. Weapons in the Building
7. Hostage Situation
8. Kidnapping
9. Self-harming Behavior
10. Medical Emergencies
11. Natural Disasters
12. Untimely or Accidental Death

The Crisis Management Plan, which is reviewed and updated annually, was written by school officials, in consultation with local police, fire and emergency management personnel, and follows State and Federal guidelines.  Due to the inclusion of safety-sensitive information, the document is not available for public inspection.

The Crisis Management Plan includes evacuation procedures if students need to vacate the school.  For extraordinary circumstances, students might be brought to off-site locations in the community for their safety.  Arrangements have been made with local institutions for this purpose.  Parents will be notified by the district’s automated telephone calling system with pick-up information.  Please keep your emergency contact information current with your child’s school.

Some emergencies will require a lockdown or building containment response when the children will be held within the locked school building.  During these emergencies, the security procedures will not allow any parents or visitors into the building until the situation is resolved.  If a lockdown procedure is implemented, parents will be notified in detail via letter and email about the situation as well as receiving the automated telephone call upon resolution of the situation.

Again, it is essential to provide the school with accurate and current email information if you wish to receive emergency communication via this method.

Security drills, often observed by the police departments, are conducted monthly at each of our schools.

Under State law, effective November 1, 2011, all schools engage in one fire drill and one security drill each month.  Records of each drill are kept in the Principal’s office.