Better Communication in Times of Emergencies

We live in a much different world than when we were growing up. Today, we are barraged with news reports about bad and scary things that happen around the globe. Maybe it’s just our access to news through the Internet and TV or perhaps it’s just a reality that things that once were thought unfathomable can and do happen.

In Aliso Viejo, two of our schools were recently threatened by entities outside of our City. Our Sheriff’s Department, the individual schools, the school district and City took these threats at our local schools very seriously and immediately launched investigations and measures to keep our children safe. Fortunately, the threats were not credible and our children were not harmed. But in speaking to several parents in our community, our communication with the families and community at large about such incidents need to be improved.

To that end, I have spoken with the new superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District, a member of their Board of Trustees, the City staff and representatives of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department about how to better coordinate with one another to enhance our communication efforts.

By the very nature of investigations, we know that the Sheriff’s Department is often limited in what it can publicly report as to not jeopardize any investigation. We know that the school district and schools don’t want to alarm parents unnecessarily. But there needs to be balance in informing the community regarding what is occurring versus the limited communication requirement of investigations to prevent unwanted panic.

We know that the City often has its hands tied because such incidents fall under the jurisdictions of the school district and Sheriff’s Department. However, these schools are located in our City, and I believe it’s our duty to clearly communicate with the public as best as we can. Doing so is a shared responsibility, and that is why at our last City Council meeting, we directed our City staff to work with both the Capistrano Unified School District and Orange County Sheriff’s Department to see how we can improve communication with parents and the community as a whole in the event of an emergency. We have an outstanding emergency preparedness program and our Sheriff’s Department and school district also have measures in place for emergencies. Public Safety has always been a priority of our City.

We all want to ensure the safety and security of our students, schools and of our community, and communication must be a key component of these efforts.