I. P. School safety post Hurricane Sandy

With the possibility of another hurricane hitting the south shore of Long Island, the Island Park School District took a close look at what changes have been made since Hurricane Sandy. Island Park suffered extreme damage in both schools, forcing some students to attend other districts while repairs were made.

As a result many things have changed according to Superintendent Rosmarie Bovino. Communication lines are improved, not only in Island Park, but throughout the area. “Superintendents now have a hotline number that reaches the Fourth Precinct Chief of Police directly on his cell phone,” she said, adding they also have “A superintendent’s Safety Committee that liaises with the Fourth Precinct.” In addition superintendents have a listserv with the Nassau BOCES Health and Safety Officer and National Weather Service; they receive alerts that include information concerning: winds, coastal flooding, tidal departures, rainfall measurement, and surf. A listserv is an internet service that provides email to subscribers with similar interests, in this case school superintendents.

Bovino works directly with the Chief of the Island Park Fire Dept and keeps a lock box at each school entrance. “The Chief has access to keys to our buildings, classrooms, and offices,” and she has the Village Mayor on speed dial, “We coordinate all governance and management issues directly.”

The Island Park school district had its telephones programmed as an annunciating system, so that group messages can be sent over the telephone intercom system without users lifting the phone receiver. It also installed alarm systems that tie into the boilers and the fire alarm system, should the boilers malfunction.

Bovino said there are other protocols there were in place prior to Sandy such as; shelter in place, evacuation, evacuation and shelter off-site. There is district level and building level emergency management safety and support teams that provide physical response protocols as well as emotional support protocols to students, parents, and employees. The administrators have remote access interior cameras to monitor flooding in boiler rooms, and exterior cameras to monitor flooding around perimeter of school buildings.