ALICE Response Protocol
ALICE Response Protocol
The safety and welfare of our students and staff are our highest priority. Throughout the year, all South Lane School District Schools perform various safety drills including fire, bus evacuation, severe weather, building evacuation and lockdown. All schools conduct ALICE drills during which students and staff practice emergency procedures. These procedures are evaluated for improvements after each drill.
To ensure schools are prepared to proactively handle the threat of an intruder or active shooter, all principals and teachers have been trained in ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate). Beginning March 2018, students and staff will participate in ALICE drills together to practice the tools and knowledge to respond and escape in the event of an active shooter.
FAQ's
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As part of the district’s ongoing commitment to student and staff safety, our district has implemented ALICE training for all students and staff. This is implemented district-wide PreK-12. The goal of ALICE training is to teach students and teachers strategies that will increase the chances that our staff and students survive if a terrible circumstance such as an armed intruder ever were to occur. This training encourages staff and students to respond based on their situation. During ALICE training, staff and students are trained in different options for responding to a school intruder who is intent on doing harm. In certain circumstances, the school may utilize a lockdown strategy. In some cases, the teacher and students might take precautions to barricade the entrance(s) of the classroom. Under certain conditions, it might be the best decision for the teacher and students to evacuate the building.
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A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym that stands for:
ALERT: Using as much detailed and accurate information as possible, students and staff are made aware of a potentially dangerous situation.
LOCKDOWN: Secure a place to stay as safe and as long as possible, when this is the best choice.
INFORM: Give constant, real-time information throughout the building using all available technology.
COUNTER: This is not taught to K-3 students, but is discussed as a possible response as students age. This is considered a last resort. This is utilized when individuals are unable to escape an immediate violent threat. Countering may be as simple as creating a distraction to allow opportunities to escape.
EVACUATE: The goal is to move students out of the danger zone. It is important to be prepared to escape, and to know where to go in case this becomes necessary. Students will evacuate to a rally point, and in the event of a live emergency, they will be transported to a family reunification site.
*Please note: our school rally points are NOT the same locations where parents and families will be reunited with their students. Schools will utilize the rally points to get students and staff out of immediate danger, and to bus students to their reunification site. Parents: please do not attempt to meet your student at the school or the rally point during an armed intruder incident as we are working to keep all students and staff as safe as possible by getting them out of immediate danger efficiently.
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ALICE is not intended to be a checklist of things to do. It is a list of choices, with accompanying strategies that are options for our staff to help themselves and students stay safe in the highly unlikely event of an armed intruder. Some may choose to evacuate and some may choose to lockdown and barricade. Others may be forced to counter if an armed intruder is able to enter the space they are in. ALICE trains people to know they have choices in an emergency situation.
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Just like practicing what we should do in a fire with our monthly fire drills, we want to be sure that students and staff are prepared and know what to do if an armed intruder enters a school. All of our schools are equipped with a number of safeguards, some seen and others unseen, to keep our students and staff safe.
In addition, since we know that violence has become all too frequent in our world, the strategies and mental preparation we use in ALICE trainings are transferable to any public venue our students may find themselves in where a crisis may occur. We have to come to the realization that a violent intruder event can happen anytime, any place, and for any reason. There is a new standard-of-care which emphasizes the need for proactive, options-based, strategies which means that we have a responsibility to those in our care and employment to do all we can to prepare them for this rare event, not only in our location but wherever they may find themselves. The federal government recommendations, as well as major law enforcement associations, support these strategies. ALICE Training is the model upon which these official recommendations were built.
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The main intent of Counter is to distract the intruder, not try to physically take on the intruder. An example of Counter would be to throw objects at an intruder as a distraction. Being passive or static has typically not shown to be an effective response to most violent threats. There are examples of recent events of school violence where the difference between passive and active responses determined survival chances. A different approach is needed to help keep our students and staff safe. Confronting a violent intruder should never be required in any non-law enforcement job description. How each staff member chooses to respond if directly confronted by a violent intruder is a personal choice. ALICE training is utilized to empower our older learners to know how to try and distract a person with violent intent so that they may have an opportunity to evacuate.
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Notification will be sent out using all methods of school district communication, phone call/email/texts via REMIND or Class Dojo (please ensure all parent contact information is updated with your school to ensure you are receiving up to date information), website updates, and social media. In the event of a true emergency, all individuals indicated as a parent or guardian will be notified.
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In the event of a full evacuation, children will make their way to safe evacuation sites, also known as “Rally Points,” off of school grounds. Students will be bussed from those rally points to a designated reunification site where they will be reunited with parents. Parents will be informed about these locations through direct communication. Again, please do not attempt to meet your student at the rally point or school. In the event of an Incident, it is extremely important that we get all students and staff to the reunification point as quickly, and as safely, as possible
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The Cottage Grove Police Department has been trained in ALICE Protocol. South Lane staff have received training in the ALICE protocol. The training included different scenarios and drills that imitated an armed intruder situation. Staff will share what they have learned with our students in an age-appropriate way, and teach them the ALICE procedures through the course of the year.
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The ALICE training institute guides the District in our training approach. Additional information is available at their website: Alice Training. If you have specific questions, regarding your child’s school, please contact your school principal.
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It is our recommendation that parents engage in age-appropriate conversation with their child or children following all safety drills. Should a parent have a specific question please contact your child’s principal. Check out this document to find out about how our teachers will be talking with students of different ages.
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We want our children to be prepared for everything, including if an unsafe person was to enter our school. All school staff will take the principles and tactics taught in the ALICE training and present the information in non-fearful, empowering ways. We will take into account a child's developmental readiness to ensure that students feel safe and have opportunities to talk about their feelings and reactions. Trained staff will be available to support the individual or collective needs of students who experience anxiety or fear from practicing these techniques. We want to empower all students to stay alert and know how to respond, and we want to care for them throughout the process.
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Talking with your child about the ALICE training in advance is advised. As with any drill (fire, evacuation, lockdown), it is important that your child understands the importance of listening to their teacher during a drill or an actual emergency. Ultimately, the decision is up to each individual parent/guardian. As a parent/guardian, you know your child best. It is important to be calm and keep any information very simple.
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As a parent or guardian, you know your child best. Children may want to process what they learned or ask questions. Older students may be interested in talking about what they would do in an emergency situation. Follow your child’s lead and keep the opportunities to talk openly.
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School administrators and your child’s teacher(s) are good resources. It is okay to say, “I don’t know, and we can find out together.” Validate your child’s questions and concerns, and assure them that all questions are good questions to help us navigate these difficult situations. The South Lane School District encourages parents and guardians to partner with your school to help answer or address any questions or concerns that arise for your student.
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One of the most important things parents can do is ensure your child’s school has up-to-date and accurate contact information for you. In the case of an emergency, we use the cell phone and email information we have to send out information, and we cannot ensure you receive accurate and timely information if we do not have an up-to-date way to get in hold of you in case of an emergency.
More Information
For more information on ALICE Training®, you are invited to view the ALICE for Families and Communities course at Nav360
