Hammond High Seeks Help On Fires

We saw this on a school note to parents:

Message From The Principal…

The purpose of this message is to make you aware of a sequence of incidents which have occurred at Hammond High School and have potentially compromised the safety of our children and staff. Since November 5th, there have been four incidents where fires have been started in trash cans in our school. These incidents have been categorized as malicious burning. Two incidents of malicious burning happened yesterday within a very short time frame. In each of the four cases, prompt action by various staff members resulted in a safe resolution to the situation. No student or staff member was harmed.

The following actions have been taken:
· Kevin Burnett, Coordinator of School Security for the HCPSS, was made aware of the incidents.
· David Bruzga, Director of Secondary Schools/ HCPSS, was consulted on the issue on Thursday, November 19th. Mr. Bruzga also personally visited Hammond High School today to walk the building and debrief on the incidents.
· Lt. Scott Chapman, Fire Marshall, was contacted by phone. Lt. Chapman came to Hammond High School on Thursday, November 19th to conduct an investigation. He walked the building and provided SRO Glen Weir and me with his assessment and recommendations.
· PTSA President, Mrs. Borowski, was informed of the incidents of malicious burning.
· A stand-up faculty meeting was held immediately after school Thursday to inform the staff of the incidents of malicious burning, and to provide them with information about next steps.
· This morning, a public address announcement was made to the school population, requesting information from the staff and students about any clue they may have relative to the incidents of malicious burning.

We will continue our investigation and move forward to keep our school safe. If any community member hears any information that might help us in our efforts, please contact Hammond High School at 410-313-7615. Please let the secretary know that you have information to share about the malicious burnings and that you need to speak with an administrator. Although these incidents are cause for concern, be assured that the entire staff of Hammond High school is being vigilant and working hard to maintain a safe learning environment for all students.