Fairfax County Public Schools have added security measures in place for the new school year.
The Washington Post reports that all FCPS high schools now have secured doors with video surveillance in place.
The new measures are part of stepped up security that officials put in place after reviewing procedures in the wake of the 2012 school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
Fairfax schools security coordinator Jim McLain told the Post that at the time of the shootings, five elementary schools and all but one of the county’s 22 high schools lacked advanced door-locking systems. McLain says all front entrances at high schools in Fairfax, including at Herndon High and South Lakes High, are equipped with new door-access systems.
The county’s 1,300 cameras can be accessed in real time by administrators on site and remotely at other locations, he added.
“I think closed-circuit television has become as fundamental to today’s society as doors and window locks,” McClain said. “We want their kids to be safe in schools.”
To review FCPS’ safety and security questions and answers, visit this FAQ section on the FCPS website.
