After 25 years with the Pennsylvania state police, and many years as a resident and parent in Haverford Township, Joseph McCunney now takes on the position of Director of Safety for the school district. This is a newly created position for Haverford, and McCunney begins it after having spent 2 years as a Security Assistant at Haverford Middle School. His desire to become the Director of Safety and Security comes from all of his family living here in Havertown as well as his desire to use his many years of experience to better his community. One of his main goals in this new position is to ensure that every student and faculty member is safe and prepared for whatever emergency occurs. He is already working hard to get new safety plans set in place and have everyone on the same page to make this district safer every day.

The Fordian: Explain the position and the responsibilities of being the Director of Safety and Security.

McCunney: As the Director of Safety and Security, I am responsible for the overall safety of the entire school district. My main task, as of now, is the school district’s Emergency Operations Plan. This is a plan that all schools in the district follow in the case of an incident that may occur in their school. It ensures that everyone uses the same terminology, has the same training, and is on the same page in the event of an emergency. My secondary duty is to coordinate with all of the school’s security guards as well as visit the elementary schools to make sure the buildings are safe and secure. 

The Fordian: What is your experience in safety?

McCunney: I was a state trooper for over 25 years and I am using the training and expertise from those years in the school district to keep everyone safe. 

The Fordian: Final question, what got you into the Haverford School District?

McCunney: I live in Havertown, both of my kids went through the Haverford School District, and my wife works in the district as well. When I started at the middle school, I realized that I enjoyed interacting with Haverford’s teachers and students. Because of how much I enjoyed working in the middle school, I decided to become very active and engaged in keeping everyone in the Haverford School District safe.