On March 2, 2018 at Bellissimo Ristorante in Montvale, members of the Park Ridge Rotary gathered to hear Captain Joseph Rampolla of the Park Ridge Police Department. The subject of his talk was School Safety in Park Ridge, particularly in light of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida on February 14.
Captain Rampolla has more than 20 years of service in Park Ridge. He grew up in Washington Township and later moved to Park Ridge. He has a Bachelors degree in criminal justice and, in addition to police service, has worked in a correctional facility. As an Officer he as been involved with DARE, a Computer Task Force and school safety.
Captain Rampolla noted that the tragedies at Columbine and Newtown changed law enforcement. Especially after the Newtown shootings, police realized that they have to get into buildings as quickly as possible. Although he did not know all the specifics of the Parkland shootings, Captain Rampolla noted that in these situations there is a lot of confusion. He further provided cautionary advice, such as when one enters a building it is important to look for where the exits are and be continuously aware of the surroundings. In a shooting situation, it is vital to run, hide or fight, in that order.
Regarding safety in our schools, Captain Rampolla explained that New Jersey has an Office of Homeland Security, a state version of the Federal Homeland Security organization. Their charter includes counter-terrorism (including domestic terrorism). He is the contact point with this organization for Park Ridge. The relationship enables the police to get constant information on events around the state. Also in place are a Bergen County SWAT team and a school safety task force. Within the Park Ridge schools, police have frequent lock down drills and police training on various scenarios. They often learn ways to improve their response from these events. In addition to the drills, there are frequent school walk-throughs and the assignment of retired police officers to be on site. Outstanding concerns include more training for substitute teachers, and additional protocols for school bus and playground situations.