Dear Oxford Schools Community,
I am writing to provide an update on the false alarm that occurred this morning at Oxford Middle School. The alarm security company responded to OMS immediately to problem solve what occurred. It has been determined that the alarm had an irregular power draw causing the hardware to malfunction. The hardware that malfunctioned is currently in a temporary inactive state. The rest of the Mass Notification System is still functional. All physical connections have been removed from the hardware that has malfunctioned.
Within seconds of the alarm malfunctioning, an announcement was made informing students and staff that it was a false alarm. The alarm went off for about a minute before it was disabled. Administration, staff and representatives from the alarm company have met today and will continue meeting to help prevent this from happening again. Additionally, we have had inquiries about whether a drill was scheduled for today. To be clear, there was no drill scheduled.
The situation was activating for many of our students and staff, and additional supports were provided to OMS students and staff immediately. Also, on Monday, additional supports will be provided for students and staff at OMS. During first hour, there will be a structured restorative activity intended for students to process how this impacted them individually and as a school community. The district restorative practices coordinator will be present at this time along with other district mental health professionals.
If your child needs support over the weekend, there is a list of available support resources on our website: https://www.oxfordschools.org/wellness___recovery/support___recovery_resources_
Sincerely,
Dr. Vickie L. Markavitch