School safety procedures clarified following bomb threats

PINE PLAINS — Following a month where bomb threats have been discovered at all three school buildings in the Pine Plains Central School District, the school’s safety protocol was addressed at the March 17 Board of Education meeting.

Principals addressed the separate incidents that occurred March 4 at Cold Spring Elementary, March 10 at Stissing Mountain Middle/High School and March 12 at Seymour Smith Elementary.

Each threat started with the discovery of a note making reference to a bomb. How the schools responded to each situation was based on the circumstances, the principals said.

District Superintendent Linda Kaumeyer explained that since Nov. 10 of last year, when an armed man took the middle school principal hostage for more than two hours, the school has changed its emergency protocol, which previously called for evacuation of the building.

At the recommendation of law enforcement, several of whom were present at the meeting, the district’s buildings have updated  safety plans and evacuation is no longer the immediate course of action. Some parents and audience members recounted that being unaware of the school’s new safety procedures, they were worried that the schools were not being immediately evacuated.

Others pointed out that the district’s AlertNow notification was tardy in some cases, particularly during the incident at Cold Spring. A notification wasn’t sent out for hours after that threat was discovered.

State Police Lt. Tom Jones explained that according to state police protocol it is often the school’s call as to what to do, based on its assessment of the situation.

“The important thing is not following the same routine every time,� he added.

It’s not always the best idea to immediately evacuate outside, Jones added. It could be inadvertently putting the students in more danger, and if the school’s safety and evacuation protocol got into the wrong hands it could create an even bigger problem.

Regarding the AlertNow messaging, Cold Spring Principal Jay Glynn acknowledged that notification should have been sent out sooner. In a related note, Kaumeyer pointed out that AlertNow messages often take a second or two to engage once the caller has picked up, and that people sometimes mistake them for telemarketing calls.

It was suggested that the school send home a letter explaining the school’s safety plans, not in detail, but to make parents aware of the different methods in which the school buildings will be handling similar situations in the future.

Kaumeyer thanked everyone who responded to the incidents, including district staff and law enforcement and parents for their cooperation and understanding. Seymour Smith Elementary Principal Richard Azoff repeated a sentiment he made in a letter home to parents.

“As cumbersome and annoying as what turned out to be a hoax was,â€�  he acknowledged, “it was an excellent drill for faculty and students. The operation went extremely smoothly and I was very pleased with our response.â€�

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