Member Notice: Emergency Exit Door Alarms

Dear Member,

As previously communicated to the Club’s membership by Executive Director, Doug Zeghibe, the Club engaged a seasoned, law-enforcement officer and security consultant late last year to review its building safety practices. As one of several recommendations that will be implemented in the coming months, the Club will be installing active alarms at each emergency exit of the facility before the end of the month.

It will no longer be possible to exit the facility through any emergency exits without setting off one of these alarms. All skaters, coaches and parents must enter AND exit the Club’s facility at the front of the building by the Club office. Additional signage will be posted, including sandwich boards, in front of each of the emergency exits. There should be no reason any of these exits should be used, unless in the case of a real emergency. The alarms do not automatically reset, and will require a member of the Club’s operations team to reset them. In short, the alarms will be disruptive, and management will be able to easily identify individuals who ignore these important safety devices and deliberately set them off by using an emergency door in a non-life-threatening emergency. Management will need to follow up will all individuals, regardless of age, that violate this and any Club security policy.

Controlling access to the Club’s facility is one of the most important measures we can take to keep our members, coaches and employees as safe as possible. As the tragic shootings in Uvalde, TX, demonstrated, easy access through a door meant to be locked from the outside at all times led to a horrific situation that ended many lives and permanently changed the lives of many others.

Our safety is not just the responsibility of Club management. It is ALL of our responsibility. We ask that every member of every age support this and all the Club’s security policies.

Sincerely,

The Skating Club of Boston