Superintendent Dr. Debra Livingston will meet with school committee in non-public session to talk about district-wide security procedures.
MANCHESTER, NH – School administrators and first responders will formally review every aspect of last week’s lockdown emergency at West High School. They will discuss the facts of the incident, assess which procedures went well, and identify what didn’t go as planned. The analysis also will include ways to improve safety protocol and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
West High School was in lockdown for almost two hours on September 25 while police searched inside for a person who was reported to have a weapon. School administrators immediately put their emergency procedures in place, which includes locking down the building to keep students and staff in their classrooms and prevent anyone from entering or leaving. Police located the suspect in question, as well as the weapon, which was identified as a pellet gun.
Debriefing after an emergency is routine practice so that everyone involved can evaluate current emergency plans and procedures to improve safety. Superintendent Dr. Debra Livingston will meet with school board members in a non-public session, in accordance with administrative rules*, to brief them on the results of the evaluation. Specifics on any changes to policy or procedure may be released publicly in order to protect the integrity of those emergency plans.
*RSA 91-A:3 II(i): Consideration of matters relating to the preparation for and the carrying out of emergency functions, including training to carry out such functions, developed by local or state safety officials that are directly intended to thwart a deliberate act that is intended to result in widespread or severe damage to property or widespread injury or loss of life.
Related stories
- West High School lockdown prompts review of district’s safety protocols
- Post-lockdown at West HS, parents, school committee focus on security
- Lockdown suspect entered West to ask teacher for college letter of recommendation
- Mom: ‘You send your kids to school, and they’re supposed to be safe’
- Former student found with gun, knife, inside West HS
- West High School locked down after report of man with gun inside building
