Capistrano District Reacts To Florida Shootings

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — With a nation in shock following the killing of 17 people at a Florida high school on Wednesday, the Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent Kirstin Vital reached out to her community to tell of steps taken to ensure similar occurrence does not happen at their Orange County Schools.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL injured at least 14 others who remained hospitalized as of Wednesday, according to a Patch News report. The shooting happened after a fire alarm was pulled, prompting students and staff at school to evacuate. The accused gunman is a former student at that high school.

"Our hearts are heavy for the families, friends and entire Parkland, Florida community as we mourn the devastating loss of life that occurred yesterday," she wrote.

Capistrano Unified School District does have plans in place, specific to each school, as well as "an incredible relationship with law enforcement," she stated.

Students at the CUSD schools are encouraged to speak up and speak out if they see or hear anything that could be cause for alarm.

"We want everyone on our campuses to be empowered to speak up about anything that looks out of place," she wrote.

Vital also said that guidance counselors are available to all students who need to talk or have questions.

Read the entire statement below.

Dear CUSD Community:

Today, our hearts are heavy for the families, friends and entire Parkland, Florida community as we mourn the devastating loss of life that occurred yesterday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

This morning, many families are asking us what plans and procedures we have in place to safeguard our students, families and staff in emergencies.

CUSD has a safety plan that is specific to each site and is reviewed every year and we have worked to build and strengthen this plan since 2012. We have an incredible relationship with law enforcement that includes daily interaction and communication as well as collaborative
participation in safety exercises and planning.

The District also works with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in planning and security assessments of our schools and with the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC). OCIAC is an integrated, multi-disciplined, information and intelligence sharing network that collects, analyzes, and disseminates information on all criminal risks and safety threats to law enforcement, fire, health, private sector and public sector stakeholders in order to protect the residents, visitors, and critical infrastructure.

In addition, Sheriff’s Deputies are assigned to our campuses and we utilize the Sheriff’s Department’s School Mobile Assessment and Resource Team (SMART). SMART is used in school situations or incidents related to violence, threats, possession and/or use of weapons, unstable behaviors and suicidal actions or tendencies.

In the area of training, we conduct ongoing drills and simulated emergency exercises for our staff and this training is reviewed and modified as needed. We also train our staff to speak up and report suspicious activity they see at our school sites or offices.

Finally, we have the benefit of many parents, students, teachers, administrators and staff on our campuses and we ask that you report any unusual and suspicious activity.

Please talk to your child/children to remind them that they, too, can report anything suspicious.

We want everyone on our campuses to be empowered to speak up about anything that looks out of place. Please
reach out to your school principals or site administration for guidance and questions.

Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Vital
Superintendent

Photo: Renee Schiavone, Patch Staff