Our Lady of Victory continues our commitment to security and safety within our church and school community.  As such, we’d like to provide you with an update on some of our more recent activity.

ALICE:  Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate
     In August, the church and school staff completed ALICE Training.  As the ALICE Training Institute states on its website, this training “provides preparation and a plan for individuals and organizations on how to more proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or active shooter event.”  The staff completed both an online module for certification and onsite training held by officers from the Northville Police Department.  The school administration will also continue to work with the student body on drills and training for how to respond in these scenarios.  Additionally, the staff is trained in CPR and Blood Borne Pathogens.
     The officers of the Northville Police Department have been wonderful and continue to make themselves available to assist us in the future whether that is through additional training, to answer questions, or to offer advice.  Both they and the Northville Fire Department have mapped our buildings and have blueprints of our sites.  Soon we will implement a numbering system for all of our doorways and windows which will assist in identifying entry and exit ways in an emergency situation.  

Security Consulting
     As a follow up to the ALICE Training and in an effort to even further enhance OLV’s safety measures, we have hired a Security Consultant.  This consultant will meet with administration to study the campus and to examine our upgraded technology to provide us with an overall assessment and help us to fine-tune an Emergency Best Practices Policy.  The consultant’s recommendations will help to ensure we are doing the absolute most that we can to best utilize the technology and security systems we have in place and/or will help to identify areas where we need improvements.  
Fr. Denis and administration have also assembled a team of security experts from within the parish with a variety of backgrounds.  This group convened to share experience and discuss potential security initiatives.  Fr. Denis and several staff members have also attended two separate community town hall meetings.  These meetings, hosted by the Cities of Northville/Northville Township and Novi, provided an opportunity to gather together to discuss current security recommendations for places of worship and network as a local community.     

Security Systems
     The Our Lady of Victory Campus has a Video Surveillance System in place and recently increased the number of cameras to provide even further visual coverage.  This video is monitored “live” daily by staff but is also recorded and reviewed by staff and law enforcement as needed.  In total, OLV has 27 cameras in place to monitor the campus to provide optimal internal and external coverage of both church and school.  
     OLV also has an Access Control System in place via swipe card and key access.  This enables us to better control who has access to the church and school buildings and the times when staff and/or approved individuals have access to the campus buildings.  We are also able to log who enters our buildings and when they access it via their approved swipe cards.  Conversely, we are also able to disable access as needed.  OLV has magnetic door releases and auto locking doors throughout the school and church as part of our lockdown procedure, all at the push of a button.  OLV also has a Voice Alert System that connects both church and school buildings to alert of an intruder.  As part of the security system, OLV has an Alarm System in place after hours to prevent intrusion and theft.  

Archdiocesan Safe Environments Policy
     Our Lady of Victory is in compliance with the Safe Environments Policy mandated by the Archdiocese of Detroit.  All adults paid or volunteer must have a criminal history background check on file and participate in a Protecting God’s Children workshop.  They must also read, sign, and comply with a Code of Conduct.  OLV maintains a database of all staff and volunteers with the dates of each person’s criminal background check, receipt of the Code of Conduct and Safe Environment Policies, and participation in a Protecting God’s Children Workshop.  Churches are audited yearly on compliance with these standards.