No longer are we little kids, hiding in a corner while our teacher runs around the classroom shutting off lights, locking doors, and covering windows. Instead, Londonderry Schools have implemented ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. With ALICE, a higher level of smart decision-making and responsibility is expected from us.
Students are no longer passive when it comes to their safety in the case of an active shooter or intruder in the school building, and instead are active participants in their safety.
ALICE is a solution created by Navigate 360 to help prepare for the possible situation of dealing with an intruder in a building.
As seen in the FAQ of ALICE, school districts aren’t the only ones who use this drill. ALICE is also used by police departments, businesses, healthcare facilities, and even some places of worship. The school district is counting on students to use their best judgment regarding their safety. When it comes to ALICE drills, students are expected to act mature and take these drills as the serious matter that they are.
According to a CNN article, School Shootings in the US: Fast Facts, which was last updated November 22, 2023, there have already been 77 school shootings this year alone, 50 of which occurred in K-12 schools. These incidents have left over 34 people dead, and more than 85 have been injured. School shootings are not a joke and are not like the controversial film Run Hide Fight. It’s real life, and there are real repercussions, and real people who are hurt.
With this in mind, we as students need to do our part and get off our phones and not joke around during the drill on Monday, December 4. Students should respect the efforts of teachers and the school district in their attempts to educate students on how to respond in such a scary situation. School shootings are an uncomfortable topic; however, that doesn’t mean they should not be discussed and prepared for.
The school district and our teachers are trying their best to ensure our safety and to educate us on what to do in the case of a school shooter or intruder, and we should give them our full attention and respect as they do.
