A new Halifax elementary school is set to come equipped with a state-of-the-art security system, including a lockdown system that comes with blue strobing lights, automated announcements and an illuminated external warning sign.
The details are contained in a tender issued by Nova Scotia’s department of transportation and infrastructure renewal last Thursday.
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The school, which has yet to be named, will be built in Halifax’s south-end at 6141 Watt Street — the former location of the LeMarchant-St. Thomas Elementary School — and will serve students from kindergarten to Grade 6.
The lockdown system will be used to alert students and staff in the case of a potential threat against the school.
According to documents contained in the tender, the system will be activated at the push of a button, causing the lights to begin strobing and the system announcing that the school has been placed in lockdown.
The external sign will also be activated, displaying the text “School in lockdown” and “Do not enter” in bright red letters.
The system will also send a signal to a door access control panel, restricting access only to those with verified key cards.
A reset button will deactivate the system when the lockdown is over.
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According to an education department spokesperson, the system is expected to cost approximately $25,000, which will be “negligible” to the cost of the school’s construction.
The spokesperson said that it’s expected that 13 schools across the province have – or will have once they open — similar systems in place.
The new school is expected to open in September 2019.