Shaker Lane Building Project Update
Members of Littleton Police, Littleton Public Schools, Littleton Fire, NEMLEC, and NEMLEC STARS participate in tabletop discussions of emergency communication procedures and scenarios. (Photo Courtesy Littleton Police Department)
LITTLETON — Chief Matthew Pinard and Superintendent Kelly Clenchy report that members of the Littleton Police and Littleton Public Schools recently completed training designed to help them communicate efficiently during significant events.
The training was held on Dec. 11 at the Littleton Police Station and was organized and led by Detective Megan Wodzinski, who has been a full-time School Resource Officer for three years. The training was designed to bring together public safety officials and school administrators to collaborate and discuss procedures, communication plans, and resources.
Nearly 20 school administrators, including principals, assistant principals, special education coordinators, counselors, and more, across all four Littleton schools participated.
Representatives from the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) and NEMLEC School Threat Assessment Response Systems (STARS), Littleton Fire, and Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix provided information about outside resources that can be used in a high-stakes situation.
NEMLEC STARS is a response team that provides additional resources to schools that may be experiencing a crisis or significant event that requires additional support. Resources also include comfort dogs from police departments across the Northeast.
Scenarios were presented for each of the district's four schools, Shaker Lane Elementary, Russell Street School, Littleton Middle School, and Littleton High School. Scenarios included active attackers, unidentified individuals on school property, armed individuals on school grounds, and ALICE training procedures.
Participants were asked to consider what strategies they would use, but also how the event and their response may be perceived by students across all grade levels.
Participants also strategized how and where parents and children would be reunited, what information would need to be shared with the public, and how school and public safety departments would coordinate during a crisis.
Detective Wodzinski and other facilitators asked clarifying questions to guide attendees to think deliberately about practical and realistic actions, including road closures due to police presence, alternate ways to reach dispatch, establishing a command center, and maintaining the physical and emotional safety of students.
"This training was an example of our close relationship with Littleton Public Schools as we navigated numerous scenarios and talked at length about all aspects of crisis response and communications, and how we can continue to support our fellow partners in the event of an emergency," said Chief Pinard. "I want to recognize Detective Wodzinski for organizing this exercise with our mutual aid partners, NEMLEC and NEMLEC STARS. Sessions such as these are invaluable to the work we do and the partnerships we build every day."
"Thank you to Littleton Police for hosting our staff for this in-depth workshop. These discussions focused on how we can continuously improve in the event of an unexpected incident," said Superintendent Clenchy. "I truly admire the work of our school staff, who asked thought-provoking questions, utilized critical thinking skills, and collaborated to better understand and support our goals. We are continually committed to the safety of all students, and that means growing even stronger relationships with our first responders."
For more information about NEMLEC, click here.
For more information about NEMLEC STARS, click here.
A message from the Littleton Police Department and Littleton Public Schools