Written by
Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
Essex, Missouri - Richland students grades six through twelve recently received ALICE training, which is a program that trains students how to react to a possible intruder or school shooting and allows teachers and administrators to know the quickest and safest way to protect their students in their very own classrooms. Last year, the staff members were trained for this occasion and taught what they learned to their students throughout the week and practiced drills in each classroom and discussed a safety plan after the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut. This year, the administrators found that the students should be the ones going through ALICE training, so they can understand it and see it first-hand so that they too can learn the importance of the training.
ALICE stands for Alert, Lock down, Inform, Counter, and Evaluate. Today, the fear of school shootings has risen tremendously, so it is important that students and teachers feel safe in their every day environments so that parents can rest easy when it comes to thinking about their children’s safety. Learning how to react, thinking quickly, value possible options, and how to escape (if at all possible) are only a few things that the students have learned throughout their training. The officers that visited the school went over numerous possibilities the students could have during these types of situations and explained that this training could help not only save their lives but save lives of others as well.
ALICE training has been taught at elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and even universities. The threat of a terrible event that involves an intruder or school shooter happening at any of these places is now equal and both officials and administrators of these schools feel that it is necessary to be trained in drills such as these just like the students are trained in tornado, earthquake, and fire drills.
The students at Richland were split up into two different groups for their demonstrative ALICE training. The students ranging from sixth grade to twelfth grade all sat through an hour long presentation that explained statistics of school shootings over the past couple of years and how they can stop the climbing numbers. The students were encouraged to react in these types of situations and not be “sitting ducks” like the students have been previously trained to do. Instead of turning off the lights, hiding, and laying low as the attacker raids the school, students were encouraged to counter the attack and find ways to escape during ALICE training. The faculty stressed to the students that it is not their “job” to protect themselves or save others, but if a situation like this ever occurred, they would have to react somehow in some way to help save themselves.
After the presentation, the students were taken into classrooms with the police officers so that they could walk through multiple demonstrations and different types of situations. The officers taught the teachers how to use ratchet straps to keep the doors closed so that the intruder had a hard time getting into the classroom. Students were taught to turn off the lights, stay quiet, and barricade the doors. They were also encouraged to throw things at the attacker, such as books and other items to distract them as they tried to enter the room.
The teachers as well as the officers helped act out these situations to see how fast the students could react. Each scenario was different and kept the students on their toes. It was truly amazing how quickly the students reacted to the sound effects in the hallway. Once they heard the intruder, they jumped into action by tying the door, flicking the light switch, barricading the door, and looking for an exit. The presentation and demonstration was very beneficial for the administrators as well as the students.
