False Alarm: Alertus Button Activated at Matthew Thornton
At approximately 10:25 am this morning, a student falsely activated an ALERTUS button at Matthew Thornton School. All of the staff and students relied on their ALICE training and responded quickly and appropriately. Within minutes, the Londonderry Police Department was on campus and able to confirm that this was a false alarm as they cleared the building.
District-wide staff also responded to the campus, including counselors who provided support to students and staff. Within 30 minutes, full accountability of all students and staff was achieved, and students transitioned back to their classrooms, returning to normal school activities for the day.
Counselors and administrators will continue to be available and will check in on staff and students for the remainder of the day, as well as again tomorrow morning.
Matthew Thornton Administration will debrief with staff, LPD, Londonderry Fire, and our Emergency Operations Planning (EOP) Committee to review today’s incident and identify any opportunities for improvement. The School District is grateful for the quick response of staff, students, district personnel, and the Londonderry Police Department, who work together to keep our staff and students safe.