As part of our continued efforts to ensure the safety of our students, parishioners, and staff, the parish offices, church, and school will be closed on August 16, as our team will be participating in ALICE training with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department. Last year, the school staff worked through some security training with the Meridian Township Police Department, but this will give a more thorough scope of what to do in case of an active shooter.
ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. Given the shootings at Michigan State University and the Covenant School in Nashville last year, I think it prudent that we be prepared for any incident that could occur both in the church and/or school. Safety is of primary concern, so, after talking with Andrea Patton, I reached out to my contacts in Washtenaw County to give us this specific training. We did ALICE training at Father Gabriel Richard High School last year, and the teachers and staff found it very helpful. This program is not available locally, so I am grateful that WCSD is willing to travel to work with us. They will do a walk-through of the school prior to training day to identify weak spots in our physical security and then, on training day, will put us through various scenarios of an active shooter.
I wanted to let you know about this for two reasons: 1) to keep you informed of our safety protocols, and 2) so that you are not alarmed when or if you see police cars in the parking lot that day. Please do not come to the church or the school on August 16.
In addition to this, Andrea Patton has received a grant for security upgrades in the school. Prior to my arrival, she and Fr. Mike had a security firm conduct an assessment of the building and our emergency processes after which they provided us with a security report and recommendations. Andrea and I are reviewing the report to determine what the grant money will be used for and what the funds might cover. These upgrades are not inexpensive, and the grant does not cover all such costs. Therefore, cost considerations for prioritized upgrades are being evaluated by Andrea and me in consultation with the Finance Council. As soon as these determinations are made, more communication to the entire St. Martha family will follow.
It is sad that we have to worry about these things, but this is a part of the world we live in. Sin and evil are realities, and we will work tirelessly to keep our children, our parishioners, and our staff safe. I want you to know that we are doing everything we possibly can to ensure your safety and your children’s safety while on the campus of St. Martha Parish and School.