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The Sun Prairie Area School District recognizes that staff and student need to be well trained to respond to active threats in the most effective and appropriate manner.
- District staff collaborated with the Sun Prairie Police Department and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and reached out to several school districts and the Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association to learn which program would best meet our needs.
- The district selected the nationally recognized ALICE training program, the number one active shooter civilian response training.
- Over the past two years, staff in all district facilities have been trained in the ALICE protocols, and in turn, staff have trained our students.
- District personnel, the Sun Prairie Police Department, and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office work together to provide training and drills. We are proud that we are successfully conducting drills to assess the understanding and implementation of the procedures.
- We have several ALICE Certified Instructors on staff
A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown & Barricade, Inform, Counter & Swarm, Evacuate.
Although it is written out in the fashion listed above, the response is not “linear” but rather, the response selected fits the threat. One of the most important components is to give adults and students more decision making power so that they can implement the best response to the threat they are facing. Combined with the decision making power is the ALERT and INFORM.
Alert, Inform
Anyone who has information can provide the ALERT to initiate a response, and as the situation develops, anyone with current information can INFORM others. Once someone provides an ALERT about an active threat, teachers (and students) make the best decision on what to do. We encourage folks to use their phones to call 911 to alert law enforcement.
Evacuate
When possible, we want folks to EVACUATE and get as far away from the threat as possible. In some cases, staff and students may EVACUATE “into” the building if the threat is outside. If the threat is far enough away (at the opposite end of the building), we want folks to EVACUATE out of the building at the nearest exit and run away from the active threat. When they get a safe distance from the threat, they should gather at a rally point and call 911.
Lockdown & Barricade
If EVACUATION is not an option, those who are being threatened must LOCKDOWN and BARRICADE the room. Staff and students are taught to use everything in the room to keep the intruder from entering the room. Students have been particularly creative in finding effective methods of barricading doors. When LOCKED DOWN and BARRICADED people need to identify potential exits, other than the main entry doors. Although we want those in the rooms to silence cell phones, we train them to contact 911 and provide information.
Counter & Swarm
If an intruder begins to gain access to the room, staff and students are taught to COUNTER and SWARM. They are trained to use whatever is available to distract the intruder, including throwing items like paper, pencils, or books. This COUNTER disrupts the “OODA loop” or the intruder’s process of Observing, Orienting, Deciding, and Acting. Many may be able to EVACUATE the room during the COUNTER process. Staff or older students should use an item like a chair, or book to knock the weapon out of the intruder’s hand as they attempt to enter and then other students can SWARM and hold the intruder’s arms, legs, and head.
We are pleased with the responsible and positive support from students and staff to the ALICE training.
It is rewarding to provide training in response to parent/guardian organizations' requests. We are also pleased that many businesses, places of worship, private/parochial schools, and community groups in Sun Prairie and the surrounding area are being trained using the ALICE response. Our School District is part of the preparedness activities of the larger community.
Our goal is to ensure that students and staff are prepared for life beyond the school setting.
Feedback from parents/guardians, and community members indicates that our students have become much more aware of how to keep themselves, and others, safe in any environment.
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