Vote Thursday Night on Phase I of School Security Upgrades

After gaining approval from the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and Board of Finance (BOF) last week for $70,000 toward implementing Phase I of a school security upgrade plan, town voters and property owners have been asked to attend a special town meeting Thursday night to vote on the appropriation.

The meeting will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. in room 133 of Town Hall.

With $40,000 being contributed by the school district, the first phase of the plan includes “immediate and significant enhancements to access control,” according to the district’s Directory of Business and Technology, Art Colley, focusing mainly on securing the points of entry at all four of Brookfield’s schools.

According to the three-phase plan proposed by the district in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Phase I includes installing the “double buzzer” system at each main entrance, ID security windows for the front offices, key card access for employee entrances and video surveillance at important access points.

If the funding is approved and work begins immediately, the first phase could be completed within the month.