Contractor sets off Buckley School intruder alarm

Joseph Villanova, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·1 min read

Mar. 31—MANCHESTER — School officials say an intruder alarm at Buckley Elementary School went off inadvertently Tuesday while a contractor was updating the system remotely.

Superintendent Matt Geary said the alarm falsely notified the school that there was an armed intruder in the building, triggering a lockdown and police response.

"There was no intruder," Geary wrote in a letter to parents. "Everyone was and is safe."

Geary said the intruder alarm was added as part of the Buckley renovation project completed last year, and an outside contractor failed to notify the school that the system was being updating.

Geary said officials are taking steps to ensure such an error is not repeated, especially in the context of other school security breaches across the country.

"We know this error was traumatic for all involved and are extremely sorry for what transpired," Geary wrote in his letter, adding that Buckley Principal Ann Johnston met with students and staff after the alarm was cleared to explain the situation.

Joseph covers Manchester and Bolton for the Journal Inquirer.