..After advice from Sheriff Security boss

While heeding the advice of Sheriff Security Company, the School of the Nations kept its doors closed this week while ensuring that a number of security measures were in place for its reopening which is slated for Monday of next week.

Following the shooting of the school’s principal Dr. Brian O’Toole on Sunday night, the security firm announced that it would be offering the school its services free of cost in the force of a physical presence and advice on the school can best implement a number of security measures.

At a meeting the school held last Monday after the shooting of the director, the school’s administration said it planned to reopen the school on Tuesday but were strongly advised against this move for a number of reasons which all hinged on security concerns by the parents and the teachers at the school.

The recommendations followed the constant threats which were leveled against the school and the somewhat reluctance of the administration back then to shut the school to allow for a comprehensive sweep of the facility for offensive weapons and substances including guns and explosives.

Since the closure, the school has also done some amount of work to its security hut and metal detectors would be employed to be facilitate the scanning of students and possibly bags before they enter the school.

The school is also to address the physical infrastructure around its perimeter as they were quizzed about the obsession of the security detail at the façade of the school while leaving the rear of the facility exposed.

It was also recommended that the school put together a comprehensive security plan which should also include evacuation posture, SOPs for the discovery of offensive weapons and or explosives, how to treat with anyone who is suspected to be harmful to the rest of the school population, the role of the security personnel and teachers who are on duty in an eventuality, the agencies to be contacted in such cases and also a lock down posture and procedure among others.

Those suggestions by the security head were widely received and endorsed by the parent teachers association(PTA) which saw the school agreeing that those were sufficient to keep the gates of the school closed as the various systems were put in place.

When contacted, on Friday, CEO of the Sheriff Security, Ameir Ahmad told this publication that he is pleased that the concerns of his company were taken into consideration and that he will be seeking to continue offering support to the management of Nations and all other stakeholders who wish to receive same.

He said in the end, it is the image of the state and the private security providers which would be on test should threats of the likes of those being leveled against the schools be carried out.

He concluded that it was in the interest of all stakeholders to come on board and ensure that the nation’s future are protected and those who groom them are also saved from harm as anything outside of that, will have a ripple effect on the country somewhere along the line.