20 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JULY 2018
SCHOOL SAFETY:
DON’T PLAY
POLITICS
By STEVE BELLONE
Suffolk County Executive
The frequency of school shootings
across the country has
prompted school districts to take
immediate action to provide teachers,
administrators, and students
a variety of tools to protect themselves
in the event of an incident.
Suffolk County is no exception,
and that is why we have made it
a priority to partner with school
districts to enhance their own
security plans.
One of these unique partnerships
is through our Rapid Response
Project. Under the new initiative,
Suffolk would provide teachers and
administrators access to the Rave
Panic Button, a school safety mobile
application that quickly alerts law
enforcement and first responders of
an active shooter situation or emergency.
With the click of a button on
any smartphone device, details of an
emergency situation would be sent
through a notification to other staff
members in the building, alerting
teachers and staff to take quick protective
action.
During a medical emergency, the
system also alerts first responders
and staff with specific training such
as CPR or AED certifications, so that
they can provide care until an ambulance
arrives on scene. We know
that seconds and minutes can mean
the critical difference between life
and death.
However, politics is now preventing
the implementation of this
common sense measure. Minority
Leader Tom Cilmi (R-East Islip) and
the Republican Caucus are holding
up funding for the program. Their
excuse is nothing short of bizarre
and ill informed. They claim they
“had no choice” because the capital
bond for this project was tied to
other projects.
The problem with their argument
is threefold. First, virtually
every other county in New York
State votes on capital bond projects
this way. It is more efficient and in
line with best practices. Second,
every member of the legislature,
including the Republican holdouts,
already voted to authorize
the project. And finally, there are
some things that should never be
held up by politics. School safety is
at the top of the list.
We owe it to Suffolk children,
teachers and families to ensure
they feel safe when entering a school
building each and every day. Suffolk
residents deserve better. Enough
with the political games and trivial
issues. Now is the time to take action
and uphold our duty to keep our
kids safe.
POINT OF VIEW
Enough with the political games and trivial
issues. Now is the time to take action and
uphold our duty to keep our kids safe.
EMT students Andrew Mahaeir, left, and Hannah Triquet, center, practice their skills in
providing chest compressions and rescue breathing with supplemental oxygen. Instructor Tom
DunfeeG, at reightt, loookns o nt. rack for a new career at
Nassau BOCES Adult Education
Join us at our Open House
Thursday, September 6, 2018, 7-9 p.m.
Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center
1196 Prospect Avenue, Westbury
Get to know us at our Open House
on September 6!
Non-discrimination Statement
The Nassau BOCES advises students, parents, employees and the general public that it offers employment and
educational opportunities without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion,
military/veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), gender, marital status,
disability, predisposing genetic characteristic(s), or domestic violence victim status. Moreover, the Nassau BOCES
shall provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Information and grievance
procedures are available by contacting the following Civil Rights Compliance Officer at 71 Clinton Rd., Garden
City, NY 11530: Selma Stoddard, Esq., Assistant Director, Department of Human Resources at 516-396-2360,
sstoddard@nasboces.org. Inquiries concerning the application of regulations prohibiting discrimination may be
referred to the above-mentioned Civil Rights Compliance Officers or to the Office for Civil Rights at NY Office
for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 32 Old Slip, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005-2500 or call
646-428-3900, or fax 646-428-3843, or TDD 800-877-8339 or email OCR.NewYork@ed.gov or file form at
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html.
Adult Education
• Career training programs
• ESL/HSE classes
• Programs for adults with disabilities
Visit www.nassauboces.org/adulted or
call 516-622-6950 for a free catalog or more
information.
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