Upton Men’s Club partners with Police Department to provide public safety radios to Upton Schools

Press release from Upton Police Department

Thanks to a generous donation from the Upton Men’s Club, Upton Schools now have a new tool for their safety and security plan. Each year, the Upton Police Department in partnership with Nipmuc Regional High School, Memorial Elementary and Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School conduct an annual audit of their school safety and lock down plans. A critical part of this review is to update our emergency plans and improve our response. For many years the schools have relied upon Nextel Direct Connect to have immediate contact with key public safety officials during emergency situations. As the Nextel system phased out, we have found that the best approach for communications beyond the 911 system and cellular phone contact is to supply each school with at least one portable radio programmed for direct contact with public safety dispatch and emergency responders. As Police Chief, I would like to thank the Upton Men’s Club for their continuous support to the community and the police department. The ability to have direct radio contact with school administrators during a critical incident, when emergency land lines and cell lines may become overloaded, will enhance our ability to respond and effectively manage emergencies.