New job position implemented across HCPS; Ford hired as Safety and Security Liaison at The Nest

Beginning this year, Renee Ford will be the Safety and Security Liaison at NHHS. Her role will be very important in keeping students and teachers safe while in the building by making sure everything is in order at NHHS.

     The Safety and Security Liaison position is a new position that was developed out of the office of safety and security through Harford County Public Schools, according to principal Brian Pawlicki. 

   Ford  has multiple responsibilities in this position including  recognizing faces and names of teachers and students in school. If an active assailant were to ever enter the building, Ford would be able to decipher if the assailant was a student at this school or not. Pawlicki states, “She is basically the eyes and ears of the administration.” 

    Some of the other jobs she has are checking the cameras regularly, watching over hallways and restrooms to make sure everything is in order.  Additionally, she works in the cafeteria, monitors parking in the parking lots, and she helps to enforce school rules such as making sure students aren’t wearing hats, hoods, and enforcing dress code. She is also a witness to searches of students, according to Pawlicki.  

    Pawlicki says that one of the reasons Ford was a great candidate for this position is “she is very familiar with the school and the community, and she’s worked here before.” He explains that Ford is, “really great with kids” and if something were to go wrong, Ford wouldn’t “heighten the situation or problem, she [would] calm the situation, she’s very good at that, she’s very good at speaking to kids to not upset the situation.”  

   Heath teacher Jacquelyn Williams stated that she feels 100% safe in school and even safer with Ford here, “because I know that there’s even more steps [that are] taking place for safety to happen and more people are looking into it.” 

   Junior Preston Miller says that the safety implementation at North Harford, “could be a little bit better but I do feel safe since there is a resource officer and there are a lot of trusted adults in the building.” Miller adds that Ford’s job as the Safety and Security Liaison, “could help and [it’s important to do] anything to help safety with students because I feel like some people don’t feel safe in school […] I feel like anything we can do to help makes a big difference.”