Lakewood Students To Get Crisis Training

LAKEWOOD, OH — Lakewood City School District students will, for the first time, receive ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training for active shooter situations. This training will supplement the students' standard lockdown drills.

"Students have been practicing lockdown drills for many years. We want to give students a little more information on it," Lakewood School Resource Officer Dave Acklin told Patch. Acklin added that he will be discussing the ALICE training with parents during the upcoming Parent Safety Information forum on September 27.

Students from each grade level in the district will get some level of experience with ALICE, though younger students will likely have a safety assembly. High school students may get more intensive training.

Acklin said that students will ultimately be told to listen to their teachers, who are leaders during crisis situations. Staff at Lakewood City Schools have been receiving ALICE training for seven years.

Parents will also get a first-hand glimpse into the principles of ALICE during the September 27 forum. Acklin said the training can be applied to any business or non-profit. He has worked with libraries and local companies, he said.

During that event, parents will also be able to participate in a question-and-answer session. Acklin said he expects to discuss topics like bullying and how to talk to children about safety.

The September 27 Parent Safety Information forum will be held at 7 p.m. in the Lakewood High School cafeteria.

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Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch