Kevin Killeen
Killeen.Kevin@wgecho.org
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what might be racing through one’s mind during a startling active-shooter scenario.
After visiting classrooms in early November and teaching students on how to appropriately respond to active shooter situations, administrators hope the first thing students will think of is the acronym, “ALICE.”
Alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate are the five key principles of ALICE.
“It’s becoming the recommended response for active shooter situations across the nation,” said school police officer Erich Weimer.
The administration began rethinking its active shooter plan in the 2011-2012 school year, around the time of the shooting rampage at Chardon High School in Ohio, on Feb. 27. The previous plan was put together after the Columbine shooting in April 1999 and “essentially just had everyone locked in their room,” said Weimer.
The new plan, however, gives individuals the ability to “follow their instincts,” according to Weimer.
“Telling a kid you can get up and run versus telling them they have to stay in a room — that’s the difference in this plan,” said Weimer.
