by Timothy Rutt
In the wake of Friday's tragic shootings in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, both the Pasadena Unified School District and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department have issued statements directed to parents.
In a press release, PUSD's Chief Academic Officer and Administrator in Charge Dr. Brian McDonald (who is filling in for Supt. Jon Gundry, now on medical leave) issued the following statement:
“All of us in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) are horrified by the tragedy that occurred today in Newtown, Connecticut. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School.”
“The safety of our students is the top priority at PUSD. The district takes many precautions to ensure that students remain safe while at school. All schools have school safety plans that detail the proper response to a variety of emergency scenarios. Students participate in shelter in place and other emergency drills several times a year. PUSD campuses are closed campuses and any visitors to a school are required by state law to register when walking onto campus. The district has a zero tolerance policy regarding weapons on campus. PUSD can also activate its emergency operations center at a moment’s notice to coordinate emergency response efforts. Finally, we maintain a very close relationship with the Pasadena Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and the Sierra Madre Police Department to provide immediate assistance should any problems arise.”
“Crisis counseling and support is available to PUSD students in the wake of this tragedy. Although there is no threat to any PUSD campus, all principals have been instructed to take precautionary measures to ensure student safety. We also encourage staff and principals to re-familiarize themselves with emergency and security policies in light of this incident.”
“To keep people informed in an emergency, the district is able to send critical information via text message. Text PUSD to 888777 to receive this service from the district.”
“PUSD recognizes the tremendous trust that parents place in us when they send their children to school each day. We take this responsibility very seriously. I want to reassure students and parents that our schools are safe.”
“Please join me and the entire PUSD family in mourning the loss of the innocent victims in this senseless tragedy.”
Meanwhile, the Altadena Sheriff Station also released this message:
Our sympathies and prayers go out to everyone associated with the terrible tragedy today at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in the community of Newtown, Connecticut. Your children will hear about this incident through friends or others and so talking with them about it in a calm way is a good idea. Give them a chance to talk about how they feel, reassure them, and help them (and you) not to feel overwhelmed. Discuss with them about people reporting to school officials if they see someone who does not belong on campus, or hear someone making threats. Here are also some Safety Tips for Kids traveling to and from school: https://local.nixle.com/alert/4873808/
Schools are one of the safest places kids can be. Yet we know that a tragedy like this causes great concern for any people. As a result, you will notice an increase presence by deputies near schools today and for the next several days. Please feel free to speak with the deputies you see and ask questions or comment about what is on your mind about school safety.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department works closely with all schools, public and private, within our policing jurisdiction to enhance safety for students and staff. Preventing these tragedies is a goal of law enforcement, schools and society as a whole. When an incident at a school does occur, it is our mutual goal to rapidly, safely, and efficiently resolve it.
Each school is required to have a School Safety Plan specific to that campus that addresses most types of incidents. Sheriff's deputies train for a variety of emergencies in strong partnerships with school staff, who are dedicated to the education and safety of children. There are procedures in place, such as shelter in place, evacuations, and lockdowns that can be implement depending on the given situation. As we often do, deputies are again reaching out and visiting schools to ensure they are familiar with the layoutof the school grounds.
New notification systems have been added over the last several years. Many schools have the ability to create a message and call registered phone numbers or to email or text parents and guardians when necessary.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (and many other policing agencies in Los Angeles County and beyond) have also implemented routine and emergency notification systems.
We strongly encourage parents and all residents of Los Angeles County to register for these notification systems so that we can keep you informed as rapidly and directly as possible whenever needed. Below are many of these notification systemsthat range from calling your home or cell phone during emergencies (Alert LA County), Text and Email (Nixle.com), website, Facebook and Twitter:
Emergency and Routine Messages from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and your local Altadena Sheriff's Station:
1. ALERT LA COUNTY emergency telephone notification system. Register your cell phone and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) (home computer) phones for emergency messages from police agencies in Los Angeles County:
http://portal.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/alertla
2. Website of the Altadena Sheriff's Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
http://www.altadena.lasd.org
3. ALTADENA LASD EMAILS and/or TEXT messages (via NIXLE) from the Altadena Sheriff's Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Visit www.Nixle.com
and register for "Nixle" alerts from: "lasd---altadena-station-los-angeles-county-sheriff/. Or, text your zip code to 888777 to receive text alerts only. Standard text messaging rates may apply depending on your calling plan.
4. FACEBOOK of the Altadena Sheriff's Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department:
http://www.facebook.com/AltadenaSheriffsStation
5. TWITTER of the Altadena Sheriff's Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Captain John Benedict:
@ALDLASD
@jbLASD
6. YOUTUBE of the NEWSROOM of Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department:
http://www.youtube.com/LACountySheriff
7. Specific Needs Disaster Voluntary Registry
http://snap.lacounty.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.registryLogin&CFID=231331&CFTOKEN=55341881
8. LA Crimestoppers - confidential/anonymous email/ text/ phone call crime reporting to police agencies in Los Angeles County:
http://lacrimestoppers.com/
Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
