By Kim Siebert MacPhail
Just as the Bedford Schools are taking measures to improve security systems and to develop stricter protocols for building entry, so is the Recreation Commission considering upgrades to the Kids’ Club access.
Security measures at Kids’ Club are already in place, Director of Recreation Amy Hamilton told the Recreation Commission on Wednesday night, but they are being reviewed as a result of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. “Parents have asked what we’re doing to keep [Kids’ Club] secure. They’re wondering if there are things that we are doing or should be doing or have thought about doing. They’re really just asking; they’re not making suggestions.
Hamilton said that she is waiting for a quote from the Facilities Department for new doors with windows that provide better sightlines, plus an intercom with a buzz-in system, both to be installed at the always-staffed main entryway to the day care facility.
“Kids’ Club has three doors, [but the only one that allows entry from the outside is the main entrance],” Hamilton continued. “People come down a hallway and go through a set of double doors where the receptionist sits. Someone is always there [for a number of reasons] and the staff all have walkie-talkies.
“I went to a couple of the school security meetings,” Hamilton added. “They asked the question, ‘If you were to have a problem, who do you think it would come from?’ In our case, the only time I’ve ever had any reason for any concern has been in divorce situations. We’ve had to tell [certain] parents [because of court decisions] that they can’t come in. That would be our biggest threat, from my perspective.”
“I think [the security question] is a reasonable question for a parent to ask,” said Recreation Chair Ron Richter. “If we can do something that adds some security, we should. We can make it a little harder [to get in] and add a level of security.”
“We should do some of the simple things—more locked doors and [improving sightlines], but you can’t put a dome around the whole building. How far do you go?” asked Commission member Robin Steele.
“We have a day camp that goes all over the place on buses; we have Springs Brook Park and Getaway Camps, kids running all over the fields,” added Richter. “We’re at the schools on weekends; the gyms are full. There’s only so much we can do. It’s just the times we live in.”
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