Some USD 475 members spent two days this week participating in an Alice Training Institute program at the Larry Dixon Center in Junction City.

The Director of Emergency Management for USD 475, Scott Clark, noted the Alice concept dealt with an option based response program…the example in this session for an active shooter or violent intruders that could be in a building. The Alice acronym stands for Alert, Lock Down, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. “We have all of those options. They are not to be carried out in order. It’s whatever applies to your situation, and whatever would be the option for you to use at that particular time.”

Clark noted you might see the violent intruder. He said if they’re on the other side of the building it might be best to evacuate, but if they are close by that might be where you lock down and barricade.  “If they do come in then counter comes into play and that’s anything you do to distract that person from what they’re trying to do. So that can involve just movement,  it can involve throwing things, it’s proactive choices you make to deal and really enhance the survivability. And that’s the key concept of all those, enhancing survivability if something like this happens.”

Approximately 50 people participated in the training. They in turn will be able to train others in the district.