In preparation for a lockdown drill to be held next week at the Bromfield School, students in grades 6-12 gathered on Tuesday in the Cronin Auditorium for a primer. Before turning the assembly over to Police Chief Edward Denmark, Principal Jim O’Shea introduced a recurring theme of the 50-minute, interactive presentation. “We are not going to dwell on recent tragedies or be in a state of high anxiety,” O’Shea said. “We just want to be prepared for emergencies, follow the procedures, and employ our thinking skills.”
During the course of the presentation, both O’Shea and Denmark told the packed auditorium that next week’s drill—and any future drills—would always be identified as such.
“There is enough stress and anxiety with the drill. We will always identify a drill, but also we will always take it seriously. Simulated violence will never be used,” Denmark said.
The threat response protocols presented on Tuesday have not changed significantly since they were first introduced to teachers about two years ago, Denmark said. One new security measure, however, is contemplated: a buzz-in entrance for the Bromfield School, similar to the one already in place at Hildreth Elementary School. A locked front door could be necessary, according to interim Superintendent Joe Connelly, but it will be a significant change. “The level of traffic is much higher [at Bromfield] than at the elementary school,” Connelly said.
With talking points projected on a screen behind him, Denmark outlined the steps to be followed at next week’s drill, noting that the “mental imprint” supplied by training is the best defense against stress-induced panic. “Research says our ability to think in a stressful situation is reduced by half,” he said. “It’s natural to freeze, experience disbelief, and then wonder what to do next.”
Teachers and school personnel have been thoroughly briefed, Denmark said. “They know what they’re doing. Trust your teachers,” he said.
Student responsibilities include following teacher’s directions, going to the designated safe spot in their classroom (or dashing to the nearest room), turning off cell phones, remaining silent, and staying in place until police unlock the doors. Emphasizing the last point, Denmark said: “You will never hear that lock-down is ended on the PA system.”
The police chief answered numerous questions, including one from a student EMT who wanted to know whether she should turn off her emergency beeper during a lock-down (yes, immediately), and what to do if you’re at your locker (run to the nearest room). Denmark urged students not to worry, but to master the skills to be taught in the upcoming drill and to apply common sense in unexpected circumstances.
“This drill is not designed to put you in fear. It gives you security in your mind that everyone—the police, your teachers, everyone—knows what to do.”
O’Shea closed the assembly by acknowledging that “there are many what-ifs to consider.” “These procedures will be our baseline,” he said. “We will know what to do, and we will apply our thinking skills when we need to.” The example of a fire breaking out in a locked-down room was used to illustrate when it is time to “think on your feet.”
For now, improvements in school security will be confined to the new lock-down drill at Bromfield (student drills are not currently planned for the elementary school); an increased emphasis on staff readiness; the probable installation of a locked front entry system for Bromfield; and the imminent publication of a wide-ranging crisis management plan for the town. Armed officers or personnel are not part of the plan.
“An armed presence in our school is not appropriate,” interim Superintendent Joe Connelly told the Press on Tuesday.
The police chief concurred, but noted that hiring armed security was ultimately the town’s decision. “Personally, though, I don’t support armed police or personnel in our schools,” Denmark said. “In certain environments, where a level of violence already exists, it makes more sense than it does here.” The idea of training and arming volunteers, as had been suggested by some national figures after the Newtown school killings, would be “alarming and problematic,” he said.
The best defense Harvard has against threats, according to O’Shea and his associate principal Scott Hoffman, is communication. “The kids know who is troubled better than we do,” O’Shea said. “Fostering school-to-home communication and promoting a school culture where sharing concerns with school staff is safe and smart: That’s the way Jim and I run the building,” Hoffman said.
And how are students coping after the latest school shooting? Two ninth-grade teachers said their students had not openly expressed worry or acted worried. Denmark said he had not yet received “a single” call or email about school security. O’Shea said he had received several emails from concerned parents. “I don’t have a palpable sense of stress from kids. I think it’s more of a grown-up stress.”
School building security is on the School Committee agenda for Monday, January 14, at Town Hall. “Interested Citizen Commentary” begins at 6:05, with the safety discussion to start at 6:40. To hear the discussion, Connelly advises arriving by 6:30 pm. Agendas are posted on the town’s website.
