Orange Unified unveils districtwide plan to expand InformaCast emergency alerts, aims for December 2025 rollout

Orange Unified School District leaders on Aug. 14 presented a multi‑year plan to unify campus emergency communications using the InformaCast mass‑notification platform and supplemental family‑messaging tools.

The district’s chief technology officer, Tam Nguyen, told the board InformaCast has been in use for about 15 years and can be expanded to coordinate alerts across VoIP phones, desktop computers, IP speakers and strobes. Nguyen said about 1,380 of roughly 2,000 district phones are already on the platform and that the district currently has 564 outdoor IP speakers. The district proposes purchasing and installing roughly 2,000 additional indoor classroom speakers (an equipment estimate of about $2.3 million, plus installation and recurring licensing costs staff estimated at roughly $20,000 per year for speakers and $25,000 per year for desktop licensing). Nguyen said existing licenses and infrastructure allow the district to leverage many features without a wholesale platform replacement.

Why it matters: The board was shown how a unified platform can push simultaneous audio, visual and text alerts during emergencies—helping principals, site staff and first responders coordinate more quickly and giving families clearer, timely information.

The presentation included three near‑term priorities: districtwide configuration of InformaCast (phones, desktops and speakers), a ParentSquare pilot at 15 sites to evaluate family messaging and translations, and planning for a unified radio strategy across feeder patterns. Staff set a target to complete the first configuration and allow districtwide drill testing by December 2025.

What officials said: Tam Nguyen explained that classrooms and staff desktops can receive pop‑up messages and that InformaCast can interface with strobes and IP speakers to provide both audio and visual notices. He said a proof‑of‑concept at Villa Park Elementary successfully demonstrated simultaneous alerts to phones, desktops and outside speakers.

—0fficials emphasized limits and next steps. Ediberto Angel, executive director of student and community services, and Ernie Gonzalez, assistant superintendent of student support and community engagement, said additional capabilities (panic buttons, FirstNet wireless priority services, broader mobile radio upgrades) remain under study and dependent on both funding and vendor timelines. The team said ParentSquare will be piloted to assess family‑facing translation and two‑way messaging during emergencies.

Board concerns and staff responses: Trustees asked how the district will ensure redundancy when classroom phones or power fail. Technology staff said redundancy will rely on a mix of radios, cell‑based alerts (including an InformaCast app and text messages), and desktop/laptop agents where practical. Staff acknowledged limitations: classroom desktop phones can lose power if there is a site outage, and radios or cell networks may need battery‑backed repeaters in some scenarios. The district said it is exploring grant options for wider radio coverage and is preparing templates and translated 'holding' messages so principals can rapidly inform families.

Other operational items: Trustees pressed staff on rollout sequencing and community outreach. Staff confirmed the speaker installation will likely be done as second‑shift work and estimated a two‑year timeline to reach all classrooms, depending on bid timelines. Presenters agreed to brief site parent groups (PTAs) before deploying visible strobes or displays so neighbors and families understand what alerts look like and do not mistake a test for an incident.

Next steps: The board received the presentation as information. Staff will proceed with procurement and planning for InformaCast configuration, continue the ParentSquare pilot, pursue potential grant funding for radio upgrades, and return to the board with more detailed timelines and cost breakdowns as bids and pilot results become available.