Cinnaminson Schools To Employ ALICE Training In Case Of Intruder

Cinnaminson, NJ -- The Cinnaminson Public School District is employing a new protocol in case of an intruder at one of the schools, the Cinnaminson Sun reports.

At the recommendation of the police and fire departments, the district will be teaching the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) system to students and staff, according to the report.

Alert is when a person first becomes aware of a situation, according to alicetraining.com.

It is “overcoming denial, recognizing the signs of danger and receiving notifications about the danger from others. Alerts should be accepted, taken seriously, and should help you make survival decisions based on your circumstances.”

Lockdown is the same procedure of locking down students in a secure area and barricading the door, according to the Sun.

Information establishes a process for relaying information in real time as much as possible.

“Armed intruder situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly, which means that ongoing, real time information is key to making effective survival decisions,” according to the ALICE website. “Information should always be clear, direct and in plain language, not using codes. If the shooter is known to be in an isolated section of a building, occupants in other areas can safely evacuate while those in direct danger can perform enhanced lockdown and prepare to counter.”

Counter focuses on actions that create noise, movement, distance and distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. It is a strategy of last resort.

The school district discourages confrontation, but feels that having this knowledge can prove useful only if necessary, according to the Sun.

Evacuating to a safe area takes people out of harm’s way and hopefully prevents civilians from having to come into any contact with the shooter.

“Did you know that you should break a window from the top corner as opposed to the center,” the ALICE website asks. "Many useful techniques that civilians do not know exist and can save your life. ALICE trainers teach strategies for evacuating through windows, from higher floors and under extreme duress.”

Patch file photo