District school campuses are going from safe to safer this summer with the installation of external strobe lights and additional lockdown buttons.
A lockdown button was added at Rhinebeck High School/Bulkeley Middle School and Chancellor Elementary School, giving each campus two lockdown buttons. A third lockdown button is planned for RHS/BMS.
Director of Facilities John Hanley explained the system.
“Going forward when the button is hit, it will immediately notify 911 and there will be strobes on the outside of the building going off. It also immediately shuts off the card readers so no one can enter the building,” he said.
“You hope you never need the lockdown buttons, but you’ll be glad you had it if you did need it.”
The external strobe lights will alert students, staff and visitors outside the building that the school is in a lockdown, and they should stay away from the school building. Four strobe lights were installed at the high school/middle school and five at the elementary school.
“We strategically placed them where they’ll be seen,” said Hanley. “They’re flashing lights. Let’s say a teacher runs out for lunch and a lockdown is initiated. When they come back, they’re going to see the lights and know to stay away from the building.”
The next phase of the project will install and upgrade the indoor and outdoor cameras on the two campuses. This may come when students are on break during the school year or in the summer of 2026.
“We are always focused on improvements, and place safety at the very top of the list for continuous analysis for growth. With advances in camera technology, the timing was ideal,” said Superintendent of Schools Albert Cousins.
“We will continue to upgrade cameras and add cameras until we have 100 percent coverage with high-definition cameras.”
Hanley added, “We’re going to see everything from every angle. When it comes to security, that’s a big deal.”