Dan Schoonhoven joined the Belleville custodial crew in the spring of 2021. He was originally hired to help spray down desks and tabletops with Vital Oxide at the end of each school day during the pandemic.
As his colleagues learned more about Dan, they found out that he was a retired firefighter and EMT, with years of experience in First Aid/CPR and seatbelt safety. Dan quickly joined the school district's Safety Committee and assisted with the Mock Crash in May.
When the district considered installing an additional door security system, Dan analyzed the system and suggested a "homemade" version that would have the same effect for a fraction of the cost. Dan did his own research, put together several options, presented those to the Safety Committee, and then priced out the final version.
Dan started installing the new system on doors in middle school classrooms today. As an A.L.I.C.E. (Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate) school district, Dan's system could provide teachers and students additional, critical time in the event of an emergency. AND his system saved the school district over $9,000 in parts and installation fees.
Thanks to Dan for his ingenuity and his desire to keep our Wildcats safe!
