West Babylon UFSD

Safety Letter

July 2026

Dear West Babylon Families,

In our district, the safety of all students, teachers, and staff is our top priority. We have a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the buildings including locked and secured entrances/exits, security guards in each building, fire extinguishers and alarms, security cameras, the Raptor system to screen visitors to the building, and the ScholarChip system in our JHS and SHS. In addition, our district has a District Emergency Response Team that meets regularly, and each building has a Building Emergency Response Team that meets regularly to discuss safety and security procedures.

During the summer of 2023, the district had a One Button Lockdown system installed in all of the schools. The One Button Lockdown System is a security solution that is designed to minimize the time it takes to contact law enforcement and to secure the school buildings during an emergency situation.

At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, several new security cameras were added to the district to increase viewing coverage and enhance the overall security of the schools.

Throughout the school year, we practice a variety of safety drills and procedures to ensure emergency preparedness at our buildings. Most frequently, students practice evacuation drills (fire drills) and lockdown drills. Evacuation drills are practiced to ensure that all students and staff in the building understand how to exit the building quickly and safely should the need arise. Lockdown drills are practiced to ensure that all students and staff understand how to quickly conceal themselves in the case of an intruder to the building. Below is a overview of the terms that we utilize and the drills we practice in more detail. Teachers frequently debrief or discuss drills and safety procedures in the classrooms. In addition, we encourage you to discuss these safety drills at home with your children. Young students, in particular, may have further questions and concerns that they may bring up to you at home.

Lastly, if you have questions about the safety procedures at your child's school or you see something that could create a potential safety concern, don't hesitate to reach out through the channels noted on our "See Something Say Something. You can find more information regarding our district's security efforts on our district website in the Safety & Security section. Together in partnership, we will create the safest environment for our WB students!

West Babylon Union Free School District

Response Action	Definition	Action Steps & Directives
Shelter-in-Place	Used to shelter students and staff inside the building.	1. Listen for instructions about the situation and your actions. 2. Students in hallways should return to assigned classroom, if possible. 3. Classroom teachers, take attendance. 4. Move away from windows, if situation warrants. 5. All other staff assist students, as needed. 6. If instructed, move out of classroom to designated safe areas. 7. Take attendance. 8. Listen for updates.
Hold-in-Place	Used to limit movement of students and staff while dealing with short-term emergencies.	1. Listen for instructions about the situation and your actions. 2. Students in hallways should return to assigned classroom, if possible. 3. Classroom teachers, take attendance. 4. All other staff assist students, as needed. 5. Listen for updates.
Evacuate	Used to evacuate students and staff from the building.	1. Listen for instructions about the situation and your actions. 2. Lead students to designated assembly or announced assembly area. Use secondary route, if necessary. 3. Bring attendance list and class roster. 4. Close the classroom door after exiting. 5. Take attendance when safe to do so. If evacuating off-site, take attendance before moving from and upon arrival at off-site location. 6. Stay together at all times. 7. Listen for updates.
Lockout	Used to secure school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose an imminent concern outside of the school.	1. Listen for instructions regarding the situation and your actions. 2. Lock all exterior windows. 3. Leave blinds/lights as they are. 4. Take attendance. 5. After initial instructions, listen for updates. 6. Classroom instruction continues as normal. 7. All outdoor activities are terminated. 8. Listen for updates.
Lockdown	Used to secure school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose an immediate threat of violence in or around the school.	When you hear lockdown announced, you should move quickly to execute the following actions: 1. If safe, gather students from hallways and common areas near your classroom. 2. Lock your door. 3. Barricade if necessary. 4. Move students to a safe area in the classroom out of sight of the door. 5. Leave windows, blinds/lights as they are. Keep everyone quiet, silence cell phones. 6. Take attendance, if possible. 7. Do not communicate through door or answer room phone. 8. Do not respond to P.A. announcement or fire alarm. 9. Stay hidden until physically released by law enforcement.