Virginia Elementary School Installs Automatic Lockdown Switch

Virginia Elementary School Installs Automatic Lockdown Switch

Woodbrook Elementary School is the first campus in Albemarle County, Va., to implement a new automatic lockdown system.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • May 17, 2019

Woodbrook Elementary School is the first campus in Albemarle County to install a new automatic lockdown system.

The new system allows the campus to go into lockdown mode within seconds of a button being pressed. The system partners with police and first responders.

“There's an automatic lockdown switch if there were to be an issue in the school,” said Lindsay Snoddy, the deputy director of the building services department.

The system gives Woodbrook Elementary School administrators control over every door in the school.

“I'm really excited that our school is one of the first schools to receive this upgrade in security," Principal Lisa Molinaro said.

The new lockdown system is a proactive measure to keep intruders from entering the campus and to stop school shootings.

“If there was a serious event in this area, they - the school - can immediately lock the doors that would prevent maybe some type of suspect from entering the building," said Lt. Terry Walls of the Albemarle County Police Department.

In addition to locking down the campus in seconds, the system also keeps an eye on who enters and exits the campus, as well as granting after-hours access to authorized people.

“One of the main things that it would allow is quick access by police officers and first responders in the event of an emergency,” Walls said.

Staff, police officers and first responders can now scan their photo IDs to gain access to the building.

“As we were making the design of the school and these safety upgrades were being put in place, parents were relieved more than anything,” Molinaro said.

The county plans to install the lockdown system in every school within the next four years.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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