Eastport-South Manor schedules live-action safety drill with Suffolk County police; ZeroEyes weapons-detection system to be tested

The Eastport-South Manor Central School District announced a live-action safety drill with the Suffolk County Police Department scheduled for Saturday, March 15, during which officers will use simunition (paintball-style) rounds and district staff will test a camera-based weapons-detection product from vendor ZeroEyes.

Director of security Phil Avarsano told the board the drill will include three separate scenarios run in the district's academic wing and that Suffolk County officers will set up in the front faculty lot. Avarsano said officers and district security staff will begin staging at 6 a.m., and the first scenario is set to start at 7:45 a.m. He said 20 to 25 officers are expected to participate in each scenario and that district security staff will either shadow officers or act as role players during exercises.

The exercise will use only simunition rounds inside the school, Avarsano said, and the department's medical tactical (medcat) unit will be present to support…