Security

Erik Carlson

Middle School Principal, School Safety Specialist

Briarcliff Middle School

The Mountain Lakes School District holds school safety and security as its top priority of the educational community. School security consists of a multi-tiered approach that requires: careful and collaborative planning, building and campus safety procedures, consistent drill implementation and training, appropriate staffing, and partnerships with law enforcement agencies. Under the Board of Education’s policies and governance, school security procedures are regularly reviewed and revised by our team of district leaders and professionals.

Policies

2419 - School Threat Assessment Teams
7440 - School District Security
7446 - School Security Program
8420 - Emergency and Crisis Situations
9150 - School Visitors

School Security Operations

Effective school security practices require ongoing planning, coordination, training, and evaluation. The district’s security operations are supervised by the School Safety Specialist, Mr. Erik Carlson, Principal of Briarcliff Middle School. Operating under the district’s School Security Plan, Mountain Lakes School District establishes vital protocols and preparation for emergency management. A District Security Committee, represented by administrators, staff, and our school resource officers, meets regularly to ensure that the school security plan works effectively to meet all of our safety and security needs. Additionally, the district has a comprehensive Crisis Management Plan detailing preventive, responsive, and evaluative actions for all types of crises. Members of the District Security and Crisis Management teams receive training regularly with a focus on best practices.

In 2023, NJ required the establishment of a Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Team (BTAM). This multidisciplinary team of district professionals is charged with “identifying students with behavior concerns, assessing those students’ risks for engaging in violence or other harmful activities.” Mountain Lakes School District employees on the BTAM are trained in risk assessment and intervention strategies aimed at mitigating safety risks within the schools.

Mountain Lakes School District conducts fire and school security drills at least one time per month. Drill alignment is coordinated through the District Security Committee, as staff members and students in each school building are trained and follow legally-required procedures to take action in cases of: active shooter, evacuation (non-fire), bomb threat, lockdown, shelter-in-place, reverse evacuation, and site relocation. District administrators observe, evaluate, and provide feedback on adherence to necessary protocols during monthly drills.

Whether a drill or an actual emergency, the Mountain Lakes School District follows appropriate procedures. Clarification of key terms is listed below:

Active Shooter: The threat of an armed assault on/around school grounds seeking to do harm (necessitates lockdown).

Lockdown: A complete suspension of activity with all individuals in the school closing (classroom) doors, shutting window/door shades and lights, and moving to a designated area of the classroom out of the line of sight until the threat or drill is over.

Shelter-In-Place: Continuance of regular activity with all individuals in rooms (classrooms) with doors shut until the emergency or non-emergency situation is resolved. A Shelter-In-Place can be called for a variety of reasons, including a weather event, animal on campus, medical situation, or certain security emergencies.

Evacuation/Relocation: An exit of all individuals from the school building to either a designated location on school campus or to another location within the district. The situation (e.g. bomb threat, gas leak, or flooding) determines the need to evacuate the building or relocate to another place. All Mountain Lakes School District schools have designated relocation places able to accommodate the full staff and student population.

Special Law Enforcement Officers (SLEO-Class III)

NJDOE SLEO Guidelines

Mountain Lakes School District has a formal arrangement with the Mountain Lakes Borough to employ two SLEOs who are retired as full-time law enforcement officers in the state of New Jersey with full training to serve as School Resource Officers (SRO). Our two SLEOs provide expertise and service in school security and education to the school-communities of Mountain Lakes High School, Briarcliff Middle School, Wildwood Elementary School, and Lake Drive Program.