The Near North School Board staff says following recent lockdowns at schools in the North Bay and Parry Sound regions, it has held several debriefing sessions to modify its response to those situations, including communication with families and stakeholders.
No one was injured in the incidents, but the latest on Feb.16 at West Ferris Secondary had students locking themselves in classrooms and closets. Some were ushered into the gym locker rooms while family members huddled outside the school for 90 minutes, frantically trying to reach their loved ones while checking social media for updates.
Police later arrested two teens and a stolen fake firearm was seized. Both face multiple charges including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
See: Police emerge from West Ferris lockdown situation
And: West Ferris school under late afternoon lockdown
New guidelines include:
- the communications team will endeavour to post to the board’s social media accounts that the school is in lockdown;
- the communications team will send an email and recorded message via SchoolMessenger to families of the school in lockdown when possible ;
- where possible, the board will share the social media posts of the police service involved, if applicable;
- once the lockdown is over, the communications team will share that information on the board’s social media accounts and update the Board of Trustees;
- a letter to families from the impacted school will be sent following the lockdown.
"One issue that came to light during the debriefs was the number of students and/or families communicating with each other via mobile devices during the lockdowns," says a release. "While we understand that the situation is excruciating for all during a lockdown, safety is of paramount importance. Receiving a notification could expose the location of staff and students, compromising their safety. It is imperative that messages not be sent or received during a lockdown."
The Board says another concerning issue was "the amount of misinformation being shared on social media during the West Ferris Secondary School lockdown, which may have increased public anxiety and fear. The erroneous online reporting of events and injuries necessitated additional investigation by members of the North Bay Police Service. This, in turn, lengthened the time WFSS was in lockdown."
See: Charges laid in West Ferris lockdown; NBPS dispels rumours
The release reminds parents that during the time that a school is in lockdown and police are on the scene, it is a police investigation.
"Families and community members should not attempt to gain access to the premises, as this results in police resources being used to manage growing crowds rather than dealing with the reason for the lockdown."
In fact, it urges parents to stay away from any lockdown situation altogether.
"During the lockdown at WFSS, parents and community members chose to attend the school once notification of a lockdown was communicated. As a result of increased traffic in the area, emergency vehicles would have been unable to provide additional support to WFSS because personal vehicles were stopped and parked on the roads. It is imperative that roadways are kept clear, and that parents, guardians and community members remain away from the scene."
"Our officers are trained to respond to situations involving potential threats to the children and staff within our schools," says Insp. Jeff Warner of NBPS. "This training is intense and follows the best practices from other agencies across the country and the United States. Our officers remain focused on their objective and should not be hampered by other distractions.
“I understand the frustration and fear of the parents wondering if their child is safe but in order to maintain a safe operation within the school, parents attempting to gain entry, push past our officers or inundate our emergency phone lines at headquarters does hamper our ability to work safely and effectively. I would like to remind parents and caregivers to trust in the ability of the officers who are responding and to take some level of comfort in knowing our officers will do everything possible to ensure everyone is safe."
The Board says during a lockdown, phones will not be answered at the school or the board office, nor will there be any updates unless they are initiated by the responding police service.
Superintendent of Education Gay Smylie says, “The Safe Schools team will continue to work with police services across the district to ensure that our emergency response policies and practices are effective, and efficient and maintain the highest level of student safety possible."
The new guidelines don't mention the role that local media can play in assisting with information, nor was any input sought. Last year an incident took place in the Circle Lake area. Parents contacted BayToday for information, yet a call to the Near North School Board officials was not returned until 24 hours after the event ended. Response from the Catholic offices was almost immediate.
See: Police search for assault suspect in Circle Lake area
Two schools, the Near North's E.W. Norman Public School and the Catholic Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School were under "hold and secure" instructions.
The hold and secure is not a lockdown, and was lifted about 90 minutes later. There was no threat to students and staff in that incident.
