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Rhinebeck schools outline districtwide safety plan and recent security upgrades
Summary
District staff reviewed a state‑required Rhinebeck safety plan, described new annexes and standardized emergency terminology, and outlined recent investments including SALTO electronic locks, upgraded radios, expanded camera access for local police, bullet‑resistant film and planned vestibule and fencing projects.
District staff presented an updated, state‑required Rhinebeck Union Free School District safety plan and described recent security upgrades intended to reduce risk across the district’s campus.
The presentation opened with an overview of the district plan and building‑level plans, which officials said will be posted differently: the district plan will be available publicly, while building‑level plans that include phone numbers, assembly areas and other sensitive details will not be posted. The district plans are prepared to address natural hazards (flooding, earthquakes), technological failures, biological threats and adversarial incidents, a presenter said.
The district partners with regional consultant Altaras for plan templates and legal updates and runs regular training with police, fire and EMS, and school staff, the presenters said. Three layers of teams appear in each building plan: a district safety team (annual review and public input), a building‑level emergency response planning team (appointed by principals) and an emergency response team that assembles during incidents.
Presenters said the state made mostly vocabulary and annex updates this year, including adding an "after school events" annex and clarifying terms such as "elopement/missing child," "shelter in place," and the distinction between lockout (secure lockout) and lockdown. The goal, they said, was consistency across districts that use different local terms.
Officials also outlined recent and planned physical and technology improvements: SALTO electronic door locks to reduce reliance on physical keys and to integrate with lockdown protocols; an upgraded radio and repeater system to improve communications across the district’s roughly 57‑acre campus; bullet‑resistant film in select classrooms; Knox Boxes that give first responders map and card access; expanded camera coverage with optional environmental sensors; and new fencing and vestibule construction slated to begin as capital work. The presentation noted that police from neighboring jurisdictions have access to the camera system when enabled.
The presenters acknowledged that many procedural responses depend on staff judgment in non‑routine situations and thanked long‑time security staffer Ernie Ricketts, who is retiring after more than 25 years of service.
The district said it will post a draft of the updated plan on the district website before the next board meeting in June and expects final approval of the plan in August.
