Our thoughts are with those in Newtown after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week. Tragedies such as this serve as a reminder for educators and parents of the importance of safety protocols and drills. Vista Unified School District officials have redoubled their efforts in recent months to ensure student safety.

1. Contact: Jeff Geyer
(760) 726-2170 ext. 2411 VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
jgeyer@vusd.k12.ca.gov
PRESS RELEASE
Safety top priority for Vista Unified School District
Students and educators routinely practice lockdown, fire and earthquake drills
Our thoughts are with those in Newtown after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week.
Tragedies such as this serve as a reminder for educators and parents of the importance of safety protocols
and drills.
Vista Unified School District officials have redoubled their efforts in recent months to ensure student safety.
“Safety is always a high priority for us,” Superintendent Devin Vodicka said.
All of the district’s 30 schools hold regular safety drills, practicing for lockdowns, fires and earthquakes.
District officials are working in collaboration with the Oceanside Police Department and San Diego County
Sheriff’s Department.
The district uses various resources to communicate with parents and public safety personnel, including
digital and analog phones, radios, social media sites, and the district’s website: www.vusd.k12.ca.us.
While schools are generally very safe places, drills are needed to ensure readiness and to reinforce safe
habits in case of an emergency.
District staff and students successfully used that knowledge and practice last month after police activity
near Vista Magnet Middle School required a lockdown there. Police asked the district to lock the school
down after a man fired shots and barricaded himself inside his apartment.
All students and employees quickly rushed to classrooms or other lockable buildings. Educators there were
able to safely release the children at the appropriate time through the rear of the campus. The concerted
focus on safety and frequent drills helped to guarantee success.
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2. SAFETY A TOP PRIORITY FOR VUSD PAGE 2
“It was the real deal, and we could test our systems with a real scenario, but none of our kids were ever in
danger,” said Jeff Geyer, safety and environmental manager for the district.
The district appointed Geyer to the role in July to oversee safety drills and protocols as well as a host of
other duties. Over the last several months, he has met with administrators from each school site to review
safety and communication plans.
“It’s a constant conversation,” Geyer said. “There’s a heightened awareness. People—from the
administrators to the teachers to the noon duties to the kids—they’re all taking safety more seriously.”
Anyone in the community with safety concerns at a Vista Unified campus can contact their site principal or
Jeff Geyer at jgeyer@vusd.k12.ca.us. There is also an online form on the district’s website
(www.vusd.k12.ca.us) that allows the public to report concerns. Additional resources regarding school
safety and the response to crisis can be found on the website and by following Dr. Vodicka on twitter
@dvodicka.
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