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North Penn Safe Schools Committee details commencement security plan as construction limits parking
Summary
Committee members outlined weapons-screening, drone surveillance, an incident-command center and contracted EMTs for North Penn High School commencement, and urged families to arrive 60–90 minutes early because construction has closed familiar cut-through parking.
Mr. Rome, a North Penn School District safety official, told the Safe Schools Committee on May 26 that the district will deploy its Evolv weapons-detection system, district safety staff, and a mix of uniformed and plainclothes municipal officers at commencement to screen attendees and manage a crowd he estimated at 8,000–9,000 people.
He said the district will also use drones to supplement campus cameras and run an incident command structure that includes senior leadership, municipal police and EMS. For non-emergency medical needs during the event, the district has contracted EMTs from VMSC to stand by so staff can address minor injuries without calling 911.
“...you will also see a full complement of our district ... school safety staff, and you will also see a complement of uniformed and ... non-uniformed officers,” Mr. Rome said, describing the layered approach to security. He asked the public to treat his remarks as a high-level overview and said operational specifics would not be released for safety reasons.
Committee members repeatedly urged families to arrive well before the 6:00 p.m. start time. Dr. Bauer, a board director, told families to “get there at least an hour early,” and suggested arriving 90 minutes early this year because construction has closed interior cut-throughs and changed parking patterns. The district listed offsite parking and shuttle pickup at Family Worship Center and Inglewood, with Gwynedd Square available if needed; handicap parking will be on the visitor side of Montco Tech School with golf-cart shuttles available for attendees with mobility needs.
Officials said familiar rear-lot cut-throughs (referred to in the meeting as the A and H lots) will not be available this year, increasing walk distances from many parking areas. Mr. Rome warned that arriving after gates open risks missing much of the ceremony and asked attendees to follow stadium signage and staff instructions to avoid obstructing wheelchair access and sightlines.
Dr. Bauer also reminded the public that smoking on school property is prohibited and said police can issue citations that would be sent by mail. “It is illegal to smoke anything on school property,” she said, urging celebratory smoking to take place off campus.
The committee had no action items; members said the presentation was informational and encouraged broad communication of arrival and parking guidance. The next Safe Schools Committee meeting is scheduled for June 23 at 5:45 p.m., in virtual format.
