Recent events make this a good time to remind the community of the safety measures and procedures used by the QACPS to keep our students and staff secure. The Sheriff’s office plans to patrol our schools throughout the week, in the
Centreville area officers from the Centreville Police Department will assist in that task.
Every school and the Central Office have an Emergency Procedures Guide to be followed. These Guides, available in
each classroom and offices, cover an extensive list of scenarios including bus accidents, fires, intruders, bomb threats,
hostage situations, hazardous weather and earthquakes.
The Guide delineates and defines responsibilities; who is to be contacted, what information to gather for the
authorities, where to assemble for safety and how to share this information with the community. The Guide has been
reviewed by our county law enforcement agencies and we have had deputies visit the buildings to determine if they are
appropriate. Each school has a monthly mandatory fire drill and students and staff also practice reacting to various
emergency situations.
QACPS coordinates these safety efforts with the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, the Queen Anne’s
County Department of Emergency Services and the Maryland State Police. The QAC Sheriff’s Department has blue prints of
all schools so they are familiar with the layout of each building and we also allow the Sheriff’s Department’s tactical teams to practice emergency procedures in our schools.
In our school system every QACPS employee carries a photo ID card which has an electronic chip that can be
scanned by proximity card readers. Proximity card readers are installed at 11 of the 14 schools and by January 2, 2013, all schools will have the proximity card system working.
During the school day, all exterior doors are locked. The only way that employees may enter the school buildings is
by using the proximity card reader. All schools have at least 3 card readers. One located on the bus loop side, one is located near the teachers parking lot side, and the other is located by the doorway used for the recess area. Each school has 2 extra ID cards for recess time. Schools with portables have 2 extra ID cards. The only way to gain access to the building during recess or leaving the portables are by the proximity card system. Two doors at each school are unlocked only for bus arrival and drop offs. As soon as all of the students have entered the building those doors are locked by custodians. Each school has a custodian check to make sure all exterior doors are secure throughout the day. If someone other than a faculty member needs to enter the building, they push a button located next to the door on the exterior of the building which buzzes at the front secretary’s desk and then the secretary can look at the TV monitor to determine if they should let the person in. When students are being dismissed those same doors are unlocked and when all students have exited the building they are secured again. All schools have security cameras installed to provide an extra layer of security.
We are currently planning to install more cameras and upgrade the video recording systems at several of the schools.
All visitors, once buzzed in by the secretary, must report to the main office and receive a badge identifying them as a
visitor in the school. Anyone entering the building at MMS, MES, KIES, CES, SMS, and GES have to enter the building though the front office. Queen Anne’s County High School and Kent Island High School currently have a student resource officer assigned during the school day.
Individuals who volunteer to help in our schools receive an orientation and undergo a rigorous background check
that utilizes Maryland and Federal databases.
QACPS have the ability to quickly send out an automated phone call to all parents that have currently enrolled
students enabling the school system to quickly and effectively communicate with parents.
We want to assure parents and the community that we take the safety of our children very seriously. It is an ongoing
effort of everyone in our system to make sure our students and staff are safe in the best possible environment in which to
accomplish our main goal, to teach our children and prepare them for the world.
Carol A. Williamson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Queen Anne’s County Public Schools
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