Montauk School Amps Up Security

Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; Santa Fe, Texas—all experienced fatal school shootings, as have so many other towns. Some parents are on edge regarding school security measures and looking to school administrators for protection for their children.

This year, even the Montauk School has amped up security measures compared to previous years.

“I don’t want to be that school that says it’ll never happen here,” Superintendent Jack Perna told concerned parents at a meeting on school security on Thursday evening, September 20, in the Montauk School’s gym.

Sitting on red bleachers, parents expressed concern about possible threats from within the school. To that, Mr. Perna responded that any child posing a danger at the Montauk School would be transported immediately to Stony Brook University Hospital to be evaluated before returning.

“At this time, there is no credible threat within the school,” Mr. Perna assured.

Mr. Perna has been employed by the Montauk School since 1973, starting out as a fourth grade teacher and becoming superintendent in 1995. At one point in time, he said, his biggest worry as superintendent involved snowstorms—but that’s no longer the case.

The school currently has security cameras in all the hallways and above each door, doors that lock from inside, and a staff member at the front door—which Mr. Perna noted is the only way into the building—who operates a buzzer to let people inside.

Armed retired police officers are employed as the building’s security guards. “When they’re not here, they’re working at the East Hampton Town Justice Court,” Mr. Perna said, assuring the parents of the officers’ training and years of experience.

“After Sandy Hook, we began having an officer in our building all day, every day,” he said. In addition, he said, East Hampton Town Police monitor the school cameras at their security offices in Wainscott at all times.

“I even tell the kids not to let me into the building if I don’t have this,” Mr. Perna said, showing everyone a lanyard with certified identification attached.

The school has two strategically placed panic buttons in case of emergency. “Press it, and the police immediately know there is a problem at Montauk School and are on their way,” he said.

Mr. Perna said he is concerned about the students being prepared. He administers four lockdown drills each year, which the parents are notified about. “We have a lockdown button, my voice comes over the loudspeaker repeating, ‘lockdown,’” he said.

The Suffolk County Police are working on equipping school personnel with a phone application called the “Rave Panic Button.” The application serves as a panic button that, once pressed, automatically alerts the police and also indicates whether the person using the app is on a school campus. Emergency notifications are automatically sent to all administrators, school police officers and other employees who have the application downloaded. The technology is still in the process of being linked to the Suffolk County Police.