Washington School Goes on Lockdown Monday for Emergency Safety Drill

Nutley's Office of Emergency Management is holding a training exercise at Washington School on Monday, public safety officials said. 

In an announcement, Nutley Fire Department Captain John Hund said the drill will testing the school's lockdown and evacuation procedures.

From 12:30 p.m. to approximately 2:30 p.m, the school will go into lockdown mode, with police officers entering the school to check classrooms. Police officers and school staff will evacuate sixth grade classes from the school to 44 Park Ave. while remaining students and staff will resume normal school activities.

Hund said the drill tests the procedures for lockdown and evacuation of a school building and gives police the chance to practice skills with actual students. 

The Nutley Office of Emergency Management is conducting the drill in conjunction with the Board of Education and Department of Public Safety.

Students will be supervised during the drill. The exercise will be evaluated by the agencies involved, along with the NJ State Police and Essex County Office of Emergency Management. Hund they are testing the plan, school employees and emergency responders to understand the role each group will play in real emergencies.

Nutley Residents are advised that they may see several emergency vehicles near Washington School on Monday. The school will notify parents of Washington School students directly in advance of the drill.