Local Group Donates Emergency Equipment to Somerset County VoTech High School

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School (SCVTHS) has received a donation from the AT EASE Foundation that will help protect students and staff in case of emergencies.

Earlier this summer, SCVTHS hosted a School Safety and Security Symposium presented by the New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP),

During the symposium, SCVTHS Lead Security Officer John Padilla found out about an opportunity to receive an Emergency Response Locker (ERL) for the school through the AT EASE Foundation, an organization founded by businessman and former Marine Pat Grillo. The foundation provides support to members of the military, veterans, first responders, and schools.

On Aug. 13, Grillo travelled to SCVTHS to deliver the ERL. He was joined by representatives of Jersey Tactical, the company that provides the equipment for the locker, including military-grade first aid kits and breach tools, which will allow responders to gain access through obstructed doorways during emergencies.

"While we hope we never have to use the equipment in the ERL, thanks to the efforts of the efforts of AT EASE and Jersey Tactical we are now even more prepared to provide assistance to SCVTHS students and staff should an emergency arise," said SCVTHS Lead Security Officer John Padilla.