by Maya Waldman
After an unknown caller released a bomb threat at around 1:20 p.m., interim principal Mark Aronson issued a “Shelter-in-Place” emergency procedure at North last Monday, Feb. 22.
According to police officials, the bomb threat was a “robo” call, an automated message that was sent to many schools in the Commonwealth area.
“It’s a shame and a problem that any person has the power to cause so much fear and distress, and I’m angry,” said Aronson.
In the occurrence of a “Shelter-in-Place” emergency, “Students and staff are sheltered in the building if there is a danger in the community outside the building,” according to the Newton Public Schools website.
When asked what he felt about the threat, Aronson said, “It bothers me that somebody feels the need to disrupt learning like that. Our students shouldn’t feel scared or unsafe here.”
Aronson’s job in the emergency procedure is to contact police and firemen officials and figure out what basic precautions are needed. According to a fireman who asked to remain anonymous, the job of firemen and policemen is to walk the building in search of any objects that look suspicious or out of place, and having students cooperate and not panic makes that job a lot easier.
“The FBI records every threat that has been made to public schools, and from closely examining those in consultation with the police and fire departments, we can usually determine the level of threat. Of course, we always take whatever precautions are needed for a given situation,” said Aronson.