Over the summer, many new safety measures were implemented at LFHS. 

Most notably, there is a new security window when you enter the front commons, as well as upgraded front vestibules. Front-desk security now has the power to control the locks on the front doors leading into the building and can clearly see who is leaving and entering the building through the window.

“Before the new measures, it was always a source of concern because those inside doors didn’t lock,” said Security Director Lane Linder. “During the school days, we had somebody posted up monitoring those doors but, in an ideal situation, you really want those to be secure.”  

In addition to the front commons being more secure, it’s worth noting that the new security desk now makes the front commons appear as the obvious “main entrance” for students to the building. For staff trying to keep our building safe, this offers multiple benefits.

“It’s important for us to know when a student is in our building, and when they’re not,” said Dean Mrs. Clegg. “I think the security changes have encouraged students to leave and enter through the commons which makes it easier to track students coming in and out of the school.”

The front commons wasn’t the only entrance that received improvements. All other entrances now have video screening technology that allows security to see who is trying to enter, and instead redirect them to the main entrance.

There have also been installations that are more under-the-radar. The public address system, which is the speakers used for the morning announcements, is much clearer than before in areas like the basement. It can also be heard just outside the school in case of an emergency.  Any teacher can access the PA system with a click of a button on their classroom phone if necessary.

There are also emergency buttons installed on each classroom phone instead of the red emergency buttons that were previously found at the door of each room. The main reason for these changes were to allow for teachers to be able to act quickly in an emergency.

“Giving teachers resources at their fingertips is always important. It could take many seconds to go over and hit the panic button on the other side of the room but having a button right in front of you is important because it can save lives,” said Linder.

Despite all the recent security improvements, there is still a long way to go.  

“As a school, we have so many doors which allow students to exit any way they want. In the future, we ultimately just want to be able to keep track of students to make sure that they’re safe,” said Clegg.