TCSO Hosts First Travis County School Safety Meeting Under HB 33, Bringing Agencies Together to Strengthen Emergency Response
Law enforcement agencies, first responders, and school district leaders from across Travis County gathered Thursday, Nov. 20, for the first-ever Travis County School Safety Meeting required under House Bill 33, also known as the Uvalde Strong Act. Hosted by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) at Circuit of the Americas, the meeting marks a new statewide approach to ensuring that every school district and every law enforcement agency work together proactively to improve emergency readiness.
What HB 33 Changes for Texas Communities
House Bill 33, passed during the 2025 legislative session, strengthens Texas’ school safety requirements by mandating that each sheriff’s office convene at least one annual meeting with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, as well as ISD superintendents, emergency management teams, and first responders.
Previously, school safety coordination varied significantly from region to region. HB 33 standardizes collaboration and elevates expectations for joint planning across the state, aiming to ensure that every Texas community—rural or urban—is prepared to respond quickly and cohesively during campus emergencies.
With more than 165,000 public school students across Travis County’s districts and numerous overlapping jurisdictions, coordinated planning plays an essential role in strengthening response times and communication.
Key Topics: Communication, Interoperability, and Real-World Coordination
TCSO developed a full day of programming to cover the law’s required topics, including school safety planning, unified chain of command, and inter-agency communication. Presenters from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Austin Police Department, EMS, Texas Association of School Boards, FBI, and Texas DPS shared expertise on threat response and operational readiness.
A central focus of the meeting was radio interoperability, a term that can feel technical but has very real implications. In a fast-moving emergency, delays of even seconds can matter. Interoperability ensures that officers, deputies, paramedics, and district police can communicate instantly on shared channels, reducing confusion, preventing duplicated efforts, and allowing agencies to transition smoothly into a unified command structure.
This level of coordination is not limited to active threat scenarios—it also supports medical emergencies, lockdowns, severe weather events, and family reunification procedures, all of which require clear, reliable communication.
Mobile Sidebar Ad
Why This Matters for Travis County Families
For parents, guardians, educators, and students, the value of HB 33 extends far beyond compliance with state law. Travis County is home to a diverse set of communities and school settings, and each one relies on strong partnerships between schools and public safety agencies.
Thursday’s meeting represents an important step toward strengthening those partnerships. By ensuring that everyone responsible for student safety—law enforcement, school administrators, emergency responders, and federal partners—shares the same plans, expectations, and communication protocols, communities benefit from a more cohesive approach to preparedness.
Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez acknowledged both the difficulty and the necessity of this work.
“I hate that we live in a day and time in which evil acts of violence are enacted on school campuses,” Hernandez said. “As hard as it is to consider, it is our duty to learn all we can and prepare to the very best of our ability. And we do. This law is the next step in preparedness.”
A Countywide Commitment to Student Safety
TCSO expressed appreciation for the agencies who participated in the inaugural HB 33 meeting and thanked Circuit of the Americas for providing its facilities—a venue large enough to accommodate the scale and importance of countywide coordination.
For families across Travis County, the meeting signals continued progress in strengthening school safety systems. By improving communication, sharing resources, and aligning emergency plans, public safety agencies and school districts are working together to build a more responsive and informed approach to protecting students.
Stay connected with My Neighborhood News for more community updates and school safety information as Travis County continues implementing HB 33 requirements.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.