In an effort to keep Springs students and staff safe should an “active shooter” emergency occur, Springs held active shooter/violent intruder drills at its Temecula administrative offices.
Tony Hager, Springs’ Safety & Risk Management Technician, led the training. He said, “It was an amazing event. Our people were happy to receive the information, and to know that they had options should such an event occur.” Mr. Hager and Jeanne Schaffner, Springs’ Safety & Risk Manager, are certified ALICE instructors. ALICE is short for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. It is not a step-by-step system, but rather an acronym used to learn and remember the options available during a violent situation.
The training began with a presentation by Mr. Hager, followed by a lockdown drill that incorporated steps from the school’s Standard Response Protocols. ALICE was introduced to the staff, followed by a second drill incorporating ALICE steps. Staff members discussed options for barricading rooms and offices when evacuation is not possible. And, as a last resort, steps and options available to counter a violent demonstrator were reviewed.
Stephanie Kephart, a Human Resources specialist, found the training “extremely beneficial.” Cindy Jackson, a receptionist in the Facilitates/IT Department, added, “Practicing active shooter drills gives you a sense of how you would react in a real active shooter situation. It made me realize that I may not have picked the smartest direction to run or the best hiding place. It gave me a chance to run through the drill again in my head, and figure out a better plan of action, in the event it ever becomes a reality.”
Mr. Hagar continued, “At the end of the day, our staff came to understand that ALICE is not only effective in a classroom or office environment, but in any public place.”
The training will continue at other Springs sites as the year progresses. Visit the link above to see our Standard Response Protocols, or visit the ALICE site for additional ALICE information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer
Superintendent
Click here to read the entire February e-newsletter.
