District reports full compliance on fire‑drill requirements; evacuation times improved after process changes

Director Michael Bridal delivered the district’s semiannual fire‑drill safety compliance report on April 28, saying each school is meeting the statutory requirement of 10 emergency drills per year and the district has moved to scheduling drills for the entire school year in advance.

"We do have to do 10 drills per school every school year as required by statute," Bridal said, describing a process of coordinating dates with principals and first responders and building a shared calendar so drills can be adjusted for weather or other events. He described rotating drill types (fire, shelter‑in‑place, lockdown) and running drills during recess and lunch as needed to ensure staff and cafeteria personnel are prepared.

Bridal said small procedural changes have yielded measurable improvements at some schools: "We actually moved where we gather our children, and we went from an average of 8.5 minutes to getting all our kids out when accounted for down to 4.7." He also described required documentation submitted annually to the state showing drill type, outcomes and subsequent corrective actions.

Board members asked about the mental‑health effects of drills on children; Bridal said the updated state drill logs include a section on adverse effects and that debriefs capture whether students needed nurse or counseling follow‑up. He added the district makes accommodations for students with identified anxieties so families can be informed in advance.

The board accepted the report and asked that the district continue semiannual reporting to ensure ongoing statutory compliance and continuous improvement.