Midland ISD reinforcing safety protocols

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - MISD is working hard to ensure their safety protocols are up to date, especially considering the recent tragedy in Uvalde.

The district has been conducting fire drills and reinforcing the importance of protocols to students and staff across their campuses.

De Zavala Elementary held a fire drill today to ensure students, staff and even visitors know how to react in crisis.

MISD’s Fire System’s Tech Joe Lopez has spent over 20 years working with fire systems and says it take only seconds for a crisis like a fire, to become out of control.

“Once fire ensues and chaos ensues especially in an emergency your looking at times matters and cognitive thought will go out the window and it becomes instinct so I’m trying to do this monthly so they realize how fast and muscle memory because they’re not going to realize it’s just going to be panic,” said Lopez.

De Zavala’s Principal Javier Aguilera says the small amount of time students and staff have to react makes practicing crisis safety that much more important.

“With the current climate there’s a lot of fear sending our kids back to school the way the school year ended last year here in Texas so its vitally important that our parents see this, the perfect example today there was a parent picking up their children during the drill our parents have to practice as well,” said Aguilera.

MISD has been focused on reinforcing the importance of their safety protocols across campuses.

They conducted an audit of access control at every campus to ensure all doors, locking systems and cameras were fully functioning… and the district also implemented a background check system for all campus visitors.

“Lives matter, that’s one thing in life you cant replace is a life, everything else can be replaced,” said Lopez.

Today Lopez’s goal was to have the school evacuate in under three minutes.

He was able to accomplish that goal with thirty seconds to spare and he’s eager to cut down that time even more for the school’s safety.

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