ALICE Training

     As you know, schools have long had safety protocols in place to help students and staff members respond to natural emergencies like fires or earthquakes. This year the Fern Ridge School District has adopted a new safety protocol to help students and staff at each school be prepared to respond in case of a man made threat. In August, staff members were trained in a program called ALICE which is designed to help schools, colleges, and other institutions respond in the event of a man made threat.

ALICE (the acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate) has been adopted across Lane County and even throughout the nation as a system for training teachers and students. It has the support of law enforcement including the Lane County Sheriff.  ALICE training focuses on helping individuals plan in advance what they can do to stay safe. Alice isn’t a prescribed set of instructions but teaches the individual to assess the situation and make the best choice- whether that choice is to evacuate or barricade.

At the elementary level, the message for students emphasizes listening to the teacher and following directions the first time. Students are taught to evacuate the building, where to go, and if evacuation is not an option, how to barricade themselves in the classroom. Upper elementary students (3rd-5th) are also taught countering strategies.

We understand that ALICE is new and for some parents the idea that we are training students to deal with these kinds of situations may be scary. Please understand that while ALICE is a K-12 program it is taught in an age appropriate manner at each level. For more information on the ALICE program, families can visit their website at alicetraining.com

Over the next few weeks teachers will begin introducing the ALICE protocols to their classes in an age appropriate manner and individual classes will be conducting ALICE drills. If you do not want your child to participate in this training, please send a written note to the office. However, we think this is important training for all students, so please take the time to learn more about ALICE before opting your child out.

       ALICE Logo courtesy of the ALICE Training Institute