Schools to get lockout buttons for security

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The Glen Cove Police Department received a call on May 10 at 10:07 a.m. about a possible bomb at Finley Middle School. As a precautionary measure, both the Finley and Deasy schools were immediately evacuated, and students were transported to Glen Cove High School. Robocalls instructed parents to pick up their children there.

“The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority, and [they] will remain at the high school until dismissal,” Glen Cove District Superintendent Dr. Maria Rianna said. The middle school students remained in the high school until their parents arrived or until regular dismissal. No students or staff were harmed.

According to Lt. Detective John Nagle of the Police Department, a middle school teacher found a note in a desk indicating that there was a bomb in one of the bathrooms. The Police Department and the Nassau County P.D.’s K-9 unit searched the building but found nothing suspicious.

“We will continue the investigation to determine who wrote the note,” Nagle said.

Over the past four years, since Rianna became the superintendent, the district has upgraded its security in several ways. More cameras have been installed in all buildings, staff access is now granted by swipe cards, and high school students now have ID cards. Next year’s budget has earmarked funding for the installation of lockout buttons, which will not allow swipe cards to be used when a lockout is activated.

Each building stages about 12 emergency simulations per year, which include fire, lockdown, evacuation and lockout drills. The last time a Glen Cove school was evacuated was September 2015, when there was a gas leak at Deasy School.