8 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 28, 1999 Security (continued from page 1) own policy to eliminate lingering confusion about the impact teach- ers have on young people. “We are striving to address the dress code of teachers in the district. I think ties and jackets, a more formal attire, is appropriate for teachers because they are in a position of authority and kids need to be able to recognize that immediately.” Lake-Lehman officials will meet Tuesday to discuss these changes and to review security protocols. The security assessment will in- clude the development of an evacuation procedure designed specifically for the chaotic atmo- sphere of a violent emergency and a plan for rapid parental notifica- tion in the event of such an inci- dent. John Oliver, high school principal would also like to orga- nize a crisis response team com- prised of teachers and staff who are trained to assist with various aspects of a school emergency. + Another plan being considered at the high school is the installa- tion of a student location system. This would allow teachers and administrators to monitor the whereabouts of each student at any given time. The computerized program would track students’ class schedules and their atten- dance records. “We would like to have a foolproof system which allows us to account for each stu- dent,” said Oliver. “Down the road we are probably looking at more electronic surveillance and per- haps an armed security presence in the schools.” Students (continued from page 1) days, and could face trial as a result of the threats. Whether he does so will depend on the out- come of the evaluation. In the meantime, he can only attend school, doctors’ appointments and the evaluation outside his home. “He may be sentenced to pro- bation or he may be required to serve time at the juvenile deten- tion center,” said Howard Kocher, Lehman Township Chief of Police. “Thatisin the hands of the judge.” The Lake-Lehman principal said the administration took this threat seriously and is seeking ways to thwart suspicious behav- ior in the future. “We have an increased presence of faculty and staff in the halls, we are limiting access to the building, and we have held assemblies to apprise students of the need to take threats seriously and to report any concerns to an appropriate authority,” said Oliver. Two girls from Dallas High School were also suspended from school for 10 days each for alleg- edly possessing a hit list. “My understanding is that thelist con- tained the names of individuals who these girls felt had crossed them at some point,” said Dr. Gilbert Griffiths, Dallas Superin- tendent. “A specific group was not targeted; there were some football players on the list but several students who are not athletes were also mentioned.” The freshman girls are currently serving their suspension while law enforcement authorities continue an investigation into the matter. “The police are still involved and they will determine whether or not criminal charges are filed,” said Griffiths. The girls’ academic future will be decided by school administra- tors this week. “We are seeking alternative schooling for the girls, but at this point I don’t know if that will mean expulsion.” Fears about a potentially dan- gerous situation at Dallas prompted approximately 30 per- cent of the student body to be absent from school on Friday. “We did not discourage parents from keeping their kids home, because we felt the rumors would make it difficult for those students who were concerned about their per- sonal safety to concentrate in the classroom,” said Griffiths. Dallas Township police and school administrators met with the high school students to reas- sure them that the building re- mains a safe place for kids to learn but that all threats should be taken seriously. “We have to be vigilant more than anything,” said Griffiths. Tell our advertisers you saw them in The DallasPost. They'll appreciate it, and so will we. Security in Lake-Lehman cur- rently includes the use of a buzzer system with a surveillance cam- era at the main entrance of each elementary school.- This device prohibits visitors from entering the buildings unannounced. The schools also maintain a daily visi- tors log in each office. The secondary schools do not have a voice activated admission systems. Instead, they use a lock- down procedure to prevent unau- thorized access and to keep stu- dents from exiting the buildings during school hours. Surveillance cameras have also been installed in the student parking lot as a means of identifying suspicious behavior on school property. Exterior doors at the four build- ings in the Dallas School District are locked during school hours. The district uses a buzzer system and surveillance cameras, simi- lar to those installed at the el- ementary schools in Lake-Leh- man, to identify visitors prior to admittance. The student parking area is also under the surveil- lance of video cameras and a lockdown policy is enforced in the lot during class hours. Both school districts have pro- grams in place which are designed to identify students who may be in need of special assistance. “Mr. Oliver has a process to isolate potential trouble-makers and alert faculty of any concerns he has,” said Price. “We take every threat seriously.” Identifying warning signs is of- ten a difficult process. “Changes in student behavior can be subtle, but it is important for teachers and staff torecognize them. Maybe it's something a student has writ- ten in an English class or maybe it's a change in appearance that is reason for concern,” said Dr. Gil Griffiths Dallas Superintendent of Schools. “It might be the group a student is hanging out with, or not hanging out with, that should be a signal something out of the ordinary is going on with that individual.” In addition to these precau- tions, employees of both schools are instructed to be aware of po- tential causes for concern. "Our faculty and staff are trained to recognize students with problems who are on the fringe or have demonstrated a need for some intervention,” said Griffiths. “We certainly have an increased aware- ness of what signs we should look out for in the classrooms.” Cold water —— (continued from page 1) fore, ran through the stop sign where Noxen Road meets Lakeside Drive (beside the Amphitheater), downadirt boat launch and ended up submerged in the lake offshore from the Marina Cafe. The driver, Joseph Gorman. 52, of Tunkhannock, was pronounced dead at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital after being removed from the water by rescuers who re- sponded in minutes. Nancy Johnson, a member of Harveys Lake Fire and Ambulance who responded to the accident, and was again on the scene Mon- day afternoon, said the car drifted about 150 feet into the lake, and was in 13 feet of water. “When the ambulance pulled up, he was treading water and calling for help,” she said. But by the time divers got Gorman to the dogk, he was immobile. “We thought we had pulled him out alive,” she said. Johnson said the water tem- perature was 43° at the surface, probably colder underneath, and that may have been a factor in the outcome. Jim Johnson, a sergeant with the Luzerne ounty Sheriff's De- partment and dive rescue special- ist, said the timing of the accident was ironic in that eight members of Harveys Lake Fire and Ambu- lance had completed training in Rapid Underwater Rescue the prior Wednesday. He said divers could have been in the water even POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK The dirt boat lauch directly across from Noxen Rd. has been the site of numerous accidents, including one Sunday that took a man's life despite the best efforts of rescue teams. ’ more quickly if it wasn't early spring. “If this happened in summer, they would have been in in sec- onds,” Johnson said. But this time of year, divers have to take a few minutes to put on dry suits for protection against the cold. Responding in addition to Harveys Lake Fire and Ambulance were the Harvey's Lake Police, Germania Hose Co. scuba team, the sheriff's department, Kunkle Fire and Ambulance, the PA Fish and Boat Commission, the Tunkhannock dive team and oth- ers. “When the ambulance arrived the EMTs ran onto the docks at Hanson's,” said Foley. On Hanson's dock they administered CPR to the accident victim, who was taken to Wilkes-Barre Gen- eral where he died. Buoys and a bright light were left to mark the accident scene. This was not the first time by any means “Oh yeah,” remarked Foley. “ A car crashed in the same spot last April.” Jim Johnson said there has been an average of at least one car in the lake at the spot each year. The Dallas Post makes you feel at home in the Back Mountain HE saramie oi FP 4 Aa UGE LI el A RE 1) ost Beautiful Selection of Wood Floors in the Area! 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers