Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/274063
Linda Chan Ro be r t S h a l j ea n, shown with Paul Olano, s ay s he though t the ALICE training w as beneficial. "If any thing ever really happened, I'd have something to fall back on." A nationwide shift in thinking ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. The organization has offered trainings in Cali- fornia school districts in Los Angeles, Vallejo, Pittsburg, Antioch, Sacramento, Merced, Woodside and elsewhere throughout the nation. The training reflects the new recommenda- tions from the U.S. Department of Education for keeping students safe, known as "Run, Hide, Fight." The new guidelines ask educators to take a more assertive role in trying to survive the unlikely event of a shooter on campus, such as throwing chairs and staplers at an intruder or turning a fire extinguisher on an attacker. Not everyone agrees with the shift in pro- tocol, and some teachers have anonymously complained in the media that they should not be expected to play Rambo. The new strategies have never been tested, but some who have taken the ALICE training say they feel better having been taught about things they could do. "I personally thought it was a good thing, because if anything ever really happened, I'd have something to fall back upon," says Robert Shaljean, a math teacher at Buhach Colony High School in Atwater who took the training a year ago and recently underwent a refresher course. "Most teachers thought it was beneficial," says the Merced Union High School District Teachers Association member. "Our school has an extremely detailed safety plan required by law, but classroom teachers don't have a clue what to do." "I'm in favor of this type of training," says Linda Chan, a math teacher at Mt. San Antonio College and the chair of CTA's Safety Committee. "We need as much training as pos- sible so we can make quick, intelligent decisions instead of panicking. Even with all that training, you just don't know what will happen. You can't always predict what is going to happen, but you should certainly be prepared for any situation. My personal thoughts are train, train, train." The Mt. San Antonio College Faculty Association member had plenty of training as a former firefighter. She is especially concerned about col- lege safety, since it's a completely open environment. TIPS TO SURVIVE A SCHOOL SHOOTING EXIT 911 Prepare and plan what you would do if an armed attacker is on your campus. Try and exit, if possible. If you know the shooter is in another area of the building, try to evacuate your students to a safe area. If you can't exit, hide. Barricade your door with chairs, desks, sofas, etc. The bigger the barricade, the more likely a shooter is to move on to an easier target. Use a landline to call 911, if possible. If something happens, the address will appear to the dispatcher. Silence your cellphone. It can give your location away. www.cta.org 27 M A R C H 2 0 1 4 Educator 03 Mar 2014 v2.0 int.indd 27 3/6/14 10:52 AM