Students safe following lockdown
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD — Students and staff are safe following an incident Friday, Feb. 8, that resulted in a decision to implement a lockdown at both schools.
The decision was made following a discussion between officials with the Fort Fairfield Police Department and Superintendent Marc Gendron.
“Information was passed along to the school of a domestic issue. It was the school’s decision from there as to how the matter was handled,” said Police Chief Bill Campbell, indicating he could not elaborate further.
Rumors surfaced on social media sites that a gunman was involved but Campbell could not confirm the exact nature of the incident, other than to say it was a “domestic matter.”
Gendron implemented a lockdown that lasted less than an hour. He indicated the decision was made as a precautionary measure.
Classes resumed at 12:30 p.m., with dismissal occurring at the regular time, and all after-school activities continuing as planned.
Gendron said the experience taught him two things.
“We are blessed to have professional staff around us,” said Gendron.
For the second item, Gendron took into consideration the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut that claimed more than two dozen lives.
Gendron said Friday’s incident in Fort Fairfield served to prove that “issues that are in the paper from ‘away’ can come to our town in a hurry, so we better be prepared.”
“I want to personally thank the Fort Fairfield Police Department, especially Sgt. Shawn Newell, for their support and clear communications. I also want to thank the administrators and staff for the calm and professional manner in the way this situation was handled,” said Gendron.
“Special thanks goes out to the secretarial and social work personnel — including our intern Christina Wall — for their effective communications with a wide variety of constituents, all at the same time,” he added.
