Chief Prasifka says fall safety week tested protocols, highlights InformaCast glitch and ‘stop the bleed’ training

Chief Prasifka told the Red Oak Independent School District board that the district ran a fall safety week to test its standard response protocol and early assessments were largely positive. "We do twice that," he said, describing the district's practice of running a designated fall safety week and a spring week and allowing campuses to schedule complementary drills during the year. He added that required monthly fire drills continue when students attend at least 10 days in a month.

Prasifka described an operational problem the district traced to its InformaCast overhead announcement system that affected some elementary campuses early in the week. "It hung up," he said; staff worked with IT, reset the server and performed a firmware update that appeared to resolve the issue. He also noted a real-world training outcome on one elementary campus in which students sheltered in a built-in closet and were not found during the initial search, saying that such outcomes underscore the importance of realistic drills. The chief also thanked campus emergency management staff and noted Sergeant Fullerton provided "stop the bleed" instruction to district personnel as a recommended enhancement following the district's vulnerability assessment.