Sayville schools report security upgrades after district vulnerability assessment

The Sayville Union Free School District on Sept. 11 told the board of ongoing security work after a district vulnerability assessment and several early-year drills that administrators said showed planned measures are in place and functioning.

Superintendent Dr. Amy Farris introduced the district—s security review and said leadership would hear from the district—s security director and an outside contractor. "We had a very strong, full day training for our security team," she said, summarizing startup work done before school began.

Head of security Matthew Ellerbaum told the board the district has hired three new guards with prior law-enforcement experience and described recent drills and planning. "We conducted a locked out drill ... we coordinated with the Suffolk County Police Department, the communication section. We utilized the Rave app, and we utilized the lockdown system in the building. So everything that is in place and all the enhancements that we'd made in the entire district, it all came together, and everything was working as it should be," Ellerbaum said.

Mike Flynn, representing the contracted security firm (identified in the meeting as COVID Security), summarized a months-long vulnerability assessment his company performed and said the assessment grouped recommendations into personnel, drills/planning, technology and infrastructure. Flynn said many recommendations required process changes rather than major capital spending and credited district staff for implementing fixes quickly. "Out of those four ... we look at approximately 32 bullet points," Flynn said. "The initial overview ... there was a number of recommendations and the positive part ... most of it did not necessitate a big fiscal expenditure. It had to do with recommendations as far as processes."

The presentation listed specific technology and practice changes already in use: the Rave emergency-notification system, expanded access to a direct active-shooter hotline to local police, updated building maps showing AED locations and emergency shutoffs, and new drill logs for principals. Board members and administrators said they observed improved door security during a recent district walkthrough.

Board members and staff discussed continuing spot-checks of drills, tabletop exercises, and expansion of behavioral threat-assessment procedures. Flynn and district staff urged that plans remain fluid and be updated with state annexes such as transportation and cardiac emergency response plans.

Public comment during the meeting included concerns from multiple parents about school safety and requests for still-more visible measures; those remarks were recorded separately in the meeting transcript.

Ending: District leaders said they will continue quarterly or on-demand updates to the board and that the district will keep coordinating with the Suffolk County Police Department and the outside contractor to refine drills, technology use, and training.