Rush-Henrietta Safety Initiatives

  • Rush-Henrietta Safety Initiatives

    Here are some of the many ways we have worked to help ensure safe schools:

    1. Rush-Henrietta uses a single point of entry at each of its schools and makes use of locked doors monitored via cameras from the inside. We also require that visitors be buzzed in to gain entry.

    2. Rush-Henrietta was among the first local school districts to implement a visitor management system at all schools. Visitors must produce personal ID and are given a badge to wear before proceeding.

    3. Surveillance cameras have been installed inside and outside of all schools.

    4. Each year, Rush-Henrietta revises and implements its state-approved district and building safety plans. It also establishes a plan of work for building emergency response teams to practice emergency procedures monthly, and to review and update their building emergency response plans.

    5. The District Safety Committee, Building Emergency Response Team, and District Emergency Response teams meet regularly.

    6. Emergency response cards are available in each room – classroom or office – throughout the district. In the event of an emergency, these cards outline the procedure to follow depending on the emergency situation.

    7. Rush-Henrietta has led the way among local districts in holding Safety Week drills each year. To help ensure everyone remembers what to do during an emergency, Safety Week is now held twice annually, in the fall and spring. Students and staff members practice drills that involve lockdowns, evacuations, and more.

    8. Rush-Henrietta conducts tabletop exercises in collaboration with local law enforcement and other emergency responders to help assure preparedness.

    9. If a student’s behavior causes sufficient level of concern, the district promptly performs a safety assessment.

    10. Youth assistants are stationed in the hallways at intermediate and secondary schools (grades 4-12) to help monitor behavior and keep everyone safe.

    11. We continue to partner with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office so it can train, gaining invaluable knowledge about the layout of our schools that we pray will never be needed. To that end, members of the road patrol and SWAT team have conducted four in-district drills at our schools during the past two months to better prepare should they need to respond to an emergency call. We have partnered on these drills for many years

    12. The Rush-Henrietta Safety Tip Line is monitored regularly and tips are acted upon in a timely fashion. The phone number is 359-STOP (359-7867).

    Upcoming Safety Improvements (April 2018)

    1. Based on feedback from the District Safety Forum in March 2018, Rush-Henrietta is expanding youth assistant coverage at the Senior High School between the hours of 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. on weekdays.

    2. Based on feedback from the District Safety Forum in March 2018, Rush-Henrietta Senior High School implemented new entry procedures in April 2018. Moving forward, school officials will open only Door 5 (west side entrance with the ramp heading toward the cafeteria) at 5:30 am. At 6:30 am, we will open Door 3 (main entrance in front of school). Please be advised so you know to drop off as close to Door 3 or Door 5 as possible, as these are the only two doors that will be open to students for arrival.  Parents may continue to drop off students on the east side (the side of the school closest to Pinnacle Road) but students will need to walk to Door 3 for entry to the building.

    3. Based on feedback from the District Safety Forum in March 2018, Rush-Henrietta is looking for ways to expedite the creation of vestibules in the front entrance of Crane, Leary, and Winslow elementary schools. These vestibules - which already exist at several of our schools - add an extra layer of security to our buildings.

    Upcoming Safety Improvement:  2019-2020

    *  Brand new vestibules are near completion at Crane, Leary, and Winslow elementary schools.  Construction started during the summer of 2019 and are ahead of schedule for completion.  Main office staff have moved into the offices and the construction crews are now working on converting the old main offices to instructional and meeting spaces.  The main entrances will continue to be the modified entrances that were created last summer.  All three main entrances will be ready for students, staff, and visitors at the start of the 2020-21 school year.