Panic buttons, pull alarm, cameras, visitor badges, license scanners: all new additions that heighten the strength of WHBHS’ security measures. Being a visitor of WHBHS has taken upon a new experience. 

Starting with the front desk, a new Raptor license scanner will document all the information available into a visitor log. This log will sign visitors in automatically, and then provide them with a visitor badge. The visitor badge contains the name of the visitor and a picture, taken with a front desk camera. 

Besides the Raptor scanner occasionally failing to recognize information on older licenses, the visitor check in procedure has been described as a much more safe and thorough experience by the front desk personnel. 

The backbone of the school’s security is the guards. Talking with Wendy, a long tenured security guard at WHBHS, she described her daily procedure. Wendy spends the first hour or so of her day checking all cars for parking passes, sometimes finding up to twelve cars that should not be in the lot. 

Then, she pulls on the outside of every door in the high school to ensure they are locked. The rest of her day is spent walking around the school and periodically checking the doors again to make sure nothing has changed from the morning. 

In terms of overall security, the addition of a school resource officer has proved a positive addition to everyone. “I love having him; I think its a great thing,” Wendy said. 

In addition to Officer Kirwin, the school resource officer, there are even more security measures that have been added on top of the new check in procedure. Panic buttons are now at numerous administration and faculty desks, additional security cameras, and silent pull alarms. Officer Kirwin explained how once the silent pull alarms have been pulled, an alert is sent to the Southampton Town Police. It is important to distinguish these alarms from fire alarms, because by pulling the new blue alarms, no sound will be played and the students and faculty will remain where they are and not be alarmed. 

It is simple to see that by adding new equipment and personnel that security has been taken to a new level in WHB. There is a positive outlook on the future of our school safety.