Garden City School District Addresses Connecticut Shootings

School districts across the region are responding to the shooting tragedy in a Connecticut Elementary school with assurances that emergency preparations are in place and up to date.

In response to the tragic news, Garden City Superintendent Dr. Robert Feirsen issued a letter to parents, addressing security concerns.

"The safety plan provides detailed instructions concerning for the situations that we hope will never unfold, but for which we must be prepared," Dr. Feirsen wrote.

"We practice to make sure that the plans work, too, both through drills that are unannounced and tabletop exercises which engage not just the school district but first responders and safety experts. We always receive high marks from the police department and trained experts in school safety when we do these exercises, and each time we add refinements to make them even more effective. We control access to our schools and work very closely with the police department to ensure that we maintain excellent communication and have quick response times."

Dr. Feirsen also stated that the district would be reviewing their policies and "any adjustments needed to raise our awareness and procedures to an even higher level."