On the bus, the bus driver had responded to the student's wound by applying a dressing. However, the driver did not put on the latex gloves in the first-aid kit, thus potentially exposing herself to bloodborne pathogens. Although all school district employees receive annual training in universal medical precautions, the administration decided to provide a refresher course after the shooting. The debriefing also revealed that communication was not as smooth as it could have been. The school district uses an 800-megahertz trunked radio system.
School buses operate on their own channel.
When an emergency occurs, the guidelines specify that all participants are to move to the help channel. In the haste and excitement of the shooting, not everyone remembered which channel to use. At first, school personnel continued to use the channel reserved for buses. Because of the volume of broadcasts on the bus channel, no one was paying attention during the early critical moments. Thus, the use of this channel prevented listeners from immediately recognizing the gravity of the event, which could have had grave ramifications had the incident been more serious.