Upper Darby SD describes emergency procedures after swatting incident; administration endorses CrisisGo and summarizes weapons‑screening data

Upper Darby School District officials used the committee’s annual safety update to review emergency protocols, summarize a recent swatting event, and present operational data on the district’s weapon‑detection and crisis‑communications systems.

"A lockout is when there's a situation outside the school ...; a lockdown is when there is a crisis inside or outside the school," Anthony Vaughn, the district’s director of public safety, told the committee while defining response terms. Vaughn and other administrators then recounted a swatting incident the prior Friday that combined a bomb threat and external reports of an armed subject on the roof; police established a perimeter, deployed a drone and conducted a floor‑by‑floor K9 sweep, and the district later determined the event to be a swatting attack.

Crisis communications and systems: Administrators said the county’s Del Pass hardware is nearing end‑of‑life and recommended continued reliance on CrisisGo, which sends instant alerts to phones and computers and provides police with access to incident information. "Our recommendation is to continue with our Crisis Go, which we already have up and running," an administrator said.

Weapon detection and threat assessments: The district installed weapon‑detection systems in December 2024 and reported processing more than 1,000,000 visitors through those systems with about 1,005 alerts to date; most alerts reflected benign metal items (laptops, eyeglass cases), while staff reported recovery of pepper spray, knives and box cutters. Administrators also said threat assessments have grown in recent years (373 assessments last school year) and reiterated that threat‑assessment policy and Title IX investigatory procedures are in place.

Supports and partnerships: Administrators emphasized mental‑health and prevention efforts, including full‑time social workers in every building, added guidance counselors, positive behavioral interventions (PBIS) and youth mental‑health first‑aid trainer certifications among staff. The district noted partnerships with county CYS and local child‑guidance resources to address truancy and provide onsite supports.

Law enforcement coordination and privacy: Administrators explained the district’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with local law enforcement, the verification process for federal agents seeking information and the role of the solicitor or district attorney in requests for sensitive data.

Board follow‑up: Committee members requested tighter communications for swatting‑style incidents, confirmation of police access to CrisisGo, and ongoing reporting back to the board on communications protocols. No formal board action was taken tonight.