Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Safety Security topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dorchester DD2 says referendum safety projects complete; board details door, detection and training rollouts
Summary
District officials told the board the safety-and-security referendum work is complete and outlined next steps: vestibules and access-control upgrades are in place, Triton vape sensors will be piloted at three high schools, radio interoperability is active and a $178,000 state safety grant will pay for bullet-resistant door installations.
The Dorchester District 2 School Board heard a report March 9 that the district has completed the slate of safety-and-security projects funded by a recent referendum and is rolling out the next phase of equipment and training.
"Everything we had for safety and security in the referendum that was passed has been checked off and completed. Um so we are at 100% completion," Director of Safety and Security Preston Giant told the board, summarizing facility upgrades that include vestibules at main entrances and an updated door-access control system.
Giant said the district has expanded its open-gate weapons-detection screenings into the middle schools and installed a new radio system so individual schools and district leadership can communicate quickly during incidents. He described a recent demonstration where district staff could issue or revoke temporary access credentials and track contractor visits electronically.
The director also outlined pilots and purchases intended to address emerging concerns. Triton sensors will be installed in restrooms at the district’s three high schools to detect vaping events and differentiate nicotine and THC products; the sensors also provide anonymous crowd- and dwell-time data to administrators. Giant said vendor walkthroughs and IT coordination were completed this week and schools should have sensors installed by the end of spring break.
On screening and physical hardening, Giant said procurement is in progress for bullet-resistant doors, noting that the quote has been received and a purchase order is being finalized. He told the board the doors are paid in part by a Department of Education safety grant totaling $178,000 that the district received in late 2025.
The district also plans a large, multi‑agency active‑shooter exercise involving Somerville Police, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, EMS, fire and rescue, 911 dispatch and state-level agencies. Giant said the exercise has been in planning for roughly 18 months and will include observers from the board if they wish to attend.
Board members asked about detection accuracy and community response to screening. Giant said open-gate screenings have produced mostly vape-related contraband — not weapons — and that parent and student feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive.” He described a recent field result in which a detection dog located a firearm during a police canvas after a shooting, underscoring the operational value of multiple safety tools.
Next steps outlined to the board include finalizing the purchase order for doors, completing Triton sensor installations during spring break, and conducting the full-scale multi‑agency exercise.
