PRESIDIO — The Presidio County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page that area officers will be conducting active shooter drills on February 26, although no students will be in school as it is a staff in-service day.
“As per Texas House Bill 3, the State of Texas has mandated that the Sheriff of County shall conduct school safety meetings in the interest of preparation for an active shooter event,” the post stated. “In addition to providing ALERRT [Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training] training to all local law enforcement, the group has been preparing for an Active Shooter Exercise to establish protocols and practice a response effort.”
Area law enforcement held a planning meeting for the exercise last Thursday, which included: Presidio County Sheriff’s Office deputies and communications, Presidio ISD police, Presidio police, Texas state troopers, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. CBP, Presidio city administration, Presidio EMS, the Presidio Volunteer Fire Department, the Presidio ISD superintendent, and Presidio ISD transportation.
“The event on February 26 will test law enforcement response times, communication, protocols, incident command, medical response, evacuation, reunification process, and school preparedness,” the post stated.
Over the past decade, the state has tightened up training requirements for school districts designed to help them respond to active shooter threats. Since 2023, ALERRT training has been mandatory for all peace officers in Texas.
Presidio ISD Chief of Police Joel Nuñez said that more information about the district’s safety protocols –– and this week’s round of drills –– is available to parents by request.
Nuñez emphasized that it takes a village to help keep the community safe. “The best thing anyone can do to help is report any suspicious activity to law enforcement and follow the safety guidelines of the emergency response plan,” he said.
Folks can submit tips anonymously to district law enforcement using their confidential online portal: https://webapps.presidio-isd.net/anonymous_report/create