Ensuring the Physical Safety of Our Schools

Secured Entries - At our schools, visitors must check in at the office, being buzzed into a single entry point during the school day.

Visitor Check and Badges - Front office staff request that visitors provide identification and have a specific reason for their visit. Prior to admission to school, visitors must sign in and put on a visitor sticker.

Safety Drills - Each school year, our staff and students practice the following types of drills: Shelter in Place (severe weather), Fire/Evacuation, Lock Down and Active Threat.

Maps and Directions - In each of our classrooms, directions for sheltering in place (severe weather) and evacuation (fire) are displayed graphically near the doorways.

Video Camera Monitoring - Each of our middle and high schools are equipped with video surveillance systems.  These systems cover both the inside and outside public spaces.  FPS does not incorporate monitoring inside of our classrooms, restrooms, offices or other private spaces.  

911 Location Systems - In the event that a 911 call is made from a location within a building/school, emergency responders are provided the specific location of the call source even if the caller does not provide this information.

Office "Panic" Buttons - In our schools, there are panic buttons in the office that can be activated and trigger a "silent" alarm which dispatches law enforcement to the school location.

Staff Badges - All of our staff wear FPS identification badges.

Mass Text and Phone Notifications - FPS utilizes a system to provide both mass text and phone call notification to our families and staff.

Locked Exterior Doors - Once students have arrived for the day, all exterior doors are locked and remain locked throughout the school day.

Locked Interior Doors - Interior doors remain locked at all times, and if propped open, the propping device must be able to be removed with a single motion, such as the kicking out of a door stop.

Security Staffing at High Schools - At each of our high schools, there are hall monitors assigned. Their job is to help school administration maintain a safe environment by monitoring student movement and behavior, patrolling parking lots/hallways, monitoring video camera systems and other safety related tasks.

FOB Access System - Over the last several years, FPS has reduced the number of key locks on our exterior doors, replacing them with electronic locks. FOBs (the electronic keys) can be activated and deactivated remotely through our management system, reducing the concern about lost keys. Additionally, the FOB system can be accessed to determine who and when our buildings have been accessed.

Visitors to our schools can expect the following school entry procedures during the school day:

• Exterior doors will be locked during the school day and visitors must access a single entry, which is typically at the main office.
• At the main office, visitors will have to be “buzzed” into school.  Visitors should be prepared to provide identification and a specific reason for their visit.
• Visitors who request access to the school, beyond the office, will need to sign in and wear a school-provided identification badge.
• In the unlikely event that a visitor presents themselves as disorderly or potentially dangerous, staff are required to enact safety protocols and immediately contact law enforcement.

Through a partnership with our local law enforcement agencies, three police officers are assigned to be within FPS on a daily basis.  They are stationed at Farmington High School, East Middle School, and North Farmington High School).  In turn, each officer is assigned to liaison with other schools in the district.  These officers support school safety and, when necessary, directly address student/community issues.  Our liaison officers work hard to integrate themselves into the communities of their schools so that their presence feels helpful and supportive to both students and staff.

Law Enforcement Access to Schools

Farmington Public Schools encourages our local law enforcement officers to visit our schools.  Often, the public may see a vehicle sitting outside of one of our schools or in a parking lot.  This is not necessarily due to a problem at school.  Rather, local law enforcement often uses our locations as stopping points to conduct their daily duties.  Additionally, all law enforcement vehicles have FOB access to our schools, in the event that they ever need quick access.  Finally, law enforcement dispatch, which services emergency responders from both Farmington and Farmington Hills, has access to our video surveillance system in the event of a school emergency.