Copley-Fairlawn City Schools Takes Extra Measures to Ensure Safety

Copley-Fairlawn City School District recently held a special community-wide meeting on March 20 to discuss the current safety and security measures in place, as well as hear from community members.

At the meeting, more than 100 parents from the district were in attendance. Superintendent Brian Poe presented the many safety measures presently in place across the district. This includes the new security vestibules—complete with buzzer system and security camera—that are now in every school building.

Currently, Copley’s entire staff has been trained in ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) to handle active shooters, and there are police officers and security guards present at each school building. Throughout the school year, the administration has organized several other meetings to continue assessing the district’s safety measures in accordance with the Ohio Department of Homeland Security and the state of Ohio’s standards.

“The meeting was a great chance for us to update the community on the ways that we have been proactive in keeping our students and staff safe,” said Poe. “More importantly, it was an opportunity to hear the thoughts and ideas of parents and community members. We want our families to know that the security and well-being of our students is vital to every decision we make moving forward.”  

Also, at the meeting, Poe introduced Kenneth S. Trump, the president of National School Safety and Security Services, to the parents and community members. The district hired his firm to conduct a safety audit of procedures and facilities in place throughout the district.

The report will be presented to the district in 6-8 weeks. Upon the completion of the firm’s review, changes will be recommended to further enhance the district’s overall safety.