In light of recent security concerns, the Irvington Union Free School District decided to hire a new security company to monitor and secure the campus against potential danger.
Altaris Security was hired to evaluate the infrastructure and to develop new emergency protocols, replacing the previous security consultant, Summit Security Services.
Recent changes in security have included: four uniformed guards on campus, a design that has been drawn up for revised visitor protocols, a recognition that doors are being left open on the garden level, and all staff members have been mandated to wear ID badges. The administration is also considering shatter proof film for the windows that look out into the hallways and also getting keys for substitutes.
One initiative that administrators are already rethinking was magnetic strips on the door jams. The idea behind the magnetic strip was so that instead of going outside the door to lock it from the outside the teacher could simply leave the door locked but cover the door jam with a magnet that could swiftly be pulled off in case an emergency was to occur.
But throughout the building the different weights and sizes of the door have affected the flimsy magnet and from constant use over short periods of time the magnets have been breaking.
“I had eight magnets before I gave up. I would rather lock my door and have people knock to be let in,” said art teacher Kathleen Tetro.
