Requires the board of education to ensure that every public elementary and secondary school install at least one emergency alarm for use in non-fire school security emergencies.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4660
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 5, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. COLTON, ENGLEBRIGHT, COOK, THIELE -- Multi-Spon-
sored by -- M. of A. AUBRY, KEARNS -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the board of
education to ensure that every public elementary and secondary school
install at least one emergency alarm for use in non-fire school secu-
rity emergencies, and requiring emergency drills and training for
public and private schools, colleges and universities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "school emergency preparedness act".
3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 409-l to
4 read as follows:
5 § 409-l. Installation of emergency alarms in public schools. 1. For
6 the purposes of this section, "emergency alarm" shall mean a silent
7 security system signal generated by the manual activation of a device
8 intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation requiring a
9 response from law enforcement.
10 2. Upon an appropriation by the state to fulfill the requirements of
11 this section, it shall be the duty of the board of education, trustees,
12 principal or other person in charge of any public elementary and second-
13 ary school within the state to install at least one emergency alarm for
14 use in a non-fire school security emergency. The alarm shall be inter-
15 connected to a designated local law enforcement agency, so that upon
16 activation of such alarm, a signal or message shall be automatically
17 transmitted to the designated local law enforcement agency.
18 3. Every school authority and the governing body that possesses juris-
19 diction for each local law enforcement agency is hereby authorized, by
20 agreement between such parties, to apportion the costs of installing and
21 maintaining any such interconnection. Costs for installing and maintain-
22 ing alarm interconnection between schools and local law enforcement
23 agencies are hereby deemed appropriate expenditures to be paid from the
24 funds of such school authorities and governing bodies.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06442-01-5
A. 4660 2
1 § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 817 to read
2 as follows:
3 § 817. Emergency drills. 1. (a) It shall be the duty of the principal
4 or official in charge of every public or private school or educational
5 institution within the state, other than colleges or universities, to
6 instruct and to train the students by means of emergency drills, so that
7 such students may, in the event of a non-fire school security emergency
8 situation, be prepared to leave the school building or gather in a pre-
9 determined safe area of the building in the shortest possible time and
10 without confusion or panic.
11 (b) Such emergency drills or rapid dismissals shall be held at least
12 two times in each school year. At least one of such drills shall be held
13 between September first and December first of each such year.
14 (c) In the course of at least one of such drills, students shall be
15 instructed on the procedure to be followed in the event that a non-fire
16 school security emergency situation occurs during the lunch period;
17 provided, however, that such additional instruction may be waived where
18 a drill is held during the regular school lunch period.
19 (d) At lease one additional drill shall be held in each school year,
20 during the hours after sunset and before sunrise, in school buildings in
21 which students are provided with sleeping accommodations.
22 (e) At least one additional drill shall be held during the first week
23 of summer school in buildings where summer school classes are conducted.
24 2. In the case of after-school programs, events or performances which
25 are conducted within a school building and which include persons who do
26 not regularly attend classes in such school building, the principal or
27 official in charge of the building shall require the teacher or person
28 in charge of such after-school program, event or performance to notify
29 persons in attendance at the beginning of each such program, event or
30 performance, of the procedures to be followed in the event of an emer-
31 gency so that they may be prepared to leave the building or gather in a
32 pre-determined safe area of the building in a timely, orderly manner.
33 3. It shall be the duty of the board of education or school board or
34 other body having control of the schools in any district or city to
35 cause a copy of this section to be printed in the manual or handbook
36 prepared for the guidance of teachers, where such manual or handbook is
37 in use or may hereafter come into use.
38 4. (a) It shall be the duty of the official in charge of every public
39 or private college or university within the state, to instruct and train
40 the students by means of emergency drills, so that they may in the event
41 of a non-fire school security emergency situation, be prepared to leave
42 the college or university building or gather in a pre-determined safe
43 area of the building in the shortest possible time and without confusion
44 or panic.
45 (b) Such emergency drills or rapid dismissals shall be held at least
46 two times in each year. At least one of such drills shall be held
47 between September first and December first of each such year.
48 (c) At least one of such drills shall be held during the first week of
49 a summer session in the buildings where summer session classes are
50 conducted.
51 (d) At least one additional drill shall be held in each year, during
52 the hours after sunset and before sunrise, in college or university
53 buildings in which students are provided with sleeping accommodations.
54 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
