The district has implemented three main new safety measures this year: medical bags, window perfs, and barricade door locks. All three features have been added to each classroom in the district.
“When we were researching these products, we were specifically looking for products that could build upon our already existing security protocols,” campus security officer Casey Littlefield said. “Products that could be used very quickly and effectively.”
Each added measure aims to increase safety within classrooms by giving staff members easy-to-use resources to be prepared in case of emergency. The medical bags contain first-aid resources for teachers to use in class, the locks on the doors prevent intruders from easily accessing rooms in the building, and the window perfs make seeing into rooms difficult.
“Whether it’s the [window] hide, the lock on the door or the medical bags, I think that if there were any kind of emergency that they provide a staff member the opportunity to quickly provide aid,” principal Chris Mayfield said. “All of these are really great individual pieces which are put in place to support the safety and security of the students.”
Over the summer, the district required staff members to undergo training on a newly introduced program called “Stop the Bleed.” The program was created to provide staff members resources in the event that First Aid applications weren’t available to stop a bleeding wound and prior to local first responders getting to the site.
The window perfs help keep intruders from being able to see the inside of the classroom. Shown is a comparison of the view into a classroom while the door is opened and closed.
“This training will also be given to all new staff members upon their ‘on-boarding’ process with Lovejoy ISD, and we will be implementing refresher courses with all staff members during each school year as well,” Littlefield said. “Very similar to what we currently do with CPR and AED training within the district.”
In addition to the physical measures added, the district is introducing Safety Wednesdays to the high school. Once a week, teachers will go over a different safety concept ranging from how to be safe in a dark parking lot to practicing an in class lockdown.
“With Safety Wednesdays we’re aiming to conduct some activities that are partly teaching and partly practicing,” Mayfield said. “They’re not big and massive activities, but rather intended to be a very quick in-class practice.”
Some students have said that the new safety measures have raised a stronger sense of security in the school.
“I noticed the locks on the doors and the shades on the windows pretty quickly,” Zahng said. “Just knowing that both those things are in all my classes makes me feel safer.”
Throughout the course of the school year, Littlefield said the security department will continue to assess potential vulnerabilities and areas of concern to then search for ways to enhance the safety of the campus.
“As events are unfolding around the United States and abroad, school districts are continuously looking for ways in which we can create the ultimate safe school environment,” Littlefield said. “Our school board, administration teams and School Marshals are working diligently behind the scenes to ensure we are implementing the very best and latest security measures throughout our campuses. Lovejoy ISD is 100% committed to implementing safety and security measures that will maximize our efforts to keep our kids safe.”
