The Office of Communications and Community Engagement staff members are all FEMA trained and certified in Incident Command Systems (ICS) which is a standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of emergency responses. Our office provides 24/7 emergency response communications including internal and external communication for all emergency efforts and serves on the District’s Emergency Response Team (DERT). We provide direct support to any District school/building/event that is experiencing an emergency. In addition to providing on-site support and media management, staff members provide messaging to our internal and external stakeholders in a timely, concise, and efficient manner. We support schools and principals with messaging to parents via Connect Ed, in English and Spanish, and manage an Active Emergency webpage with event information and updates at regular intervals. We also represent WCSD and provide support and expertise during regional emergencies in the Joint Information Center operations along with other local entities.