School Safety Training/ALICE Decision Model
Atchison Public Schools will be training staff on ALICE, which is an options-based decision model, where teachers, staff, and students respond to specific crisis situations. All staff will be trained in this model. The purpose of ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate) Training is to prepare individuals to handle the threat of an active shooter. According to the ALICE Manual:
ALICE teaches individuals to participate in their own survival while leading others to safety. While no one can guarantee success in this type of situation, this new set of skills will greatly increase the odds of survival should anyone face this form of disaster. In a stressful situation, to make it easy to remember, ALICE is broken up into five strategies: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. The ALICE acronym is not meant to be a linear strategy and does not have to be applied in the order of the acronym.
- ●The purpose of ALERTis your first notification of danger.The purpose of LOCKDOWN is to secure in place and prepare to EVACUATEor COUNTER , if needed.
- ●The purpose of INFORMis communicating the violent intruder’s location and direction in real time.
- ●The purpose ofCOUNTERis to create Noise, Movement, DIstance and Distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. COUNTERis not fighting.
- ●The purpose of EVACUATEis to remove yourself from the danger zone when it is safe.
ALICE replaces the current model which is, Run, Hide, Fight. The ALICE module is a robust model and meets our current needs.
Required New School Drills Required by the Fire Marshal.
The Fire Marshal's office is requiring schools to conduct nine crisis drills during the 2018-19 school year. Drills will involve all students and staff, and we will use the terminology as used in the ALICE model. Information about the drills will be communicated to parents and guardians monthly. This is a new requirement, so an understanding of these drills is important. Fire and tornado drills will also be conducted in addition to the nine crisis drills. Please contact your building principals if you have any questions.