CRESTON, IA—Southwestern Community College (SWCC) began the process of educating students about the Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate (ALICE) training program on Tues., October 14, 2014, from 8-10 a.m. in the college’s Instructional Center. Keith Olsen, SWCC employee and certified ALICE instructor, conducted the student training with assistance from John Coulter, Afton chief of police and certified ALICE instructor.
The ALICE training program teaches participants how to improve their chances of survival when confronted by an intruder. During the training, Olsen and Coulter educated students regarding the five ALICE concepts, as well as swarming and barricading. The trainers focused on factual and statistical information indicating lockdown-only options have not been proven to increase survivability during life-threatening school shooting events.
Coulter spent time teaching students what to expect during a violent intruder event, how to react, and what to do when law enforcement arrives on the scene. The students role-played situations and then discussed their responses. According to Coulter, no response option guarantees 100 percent survivability; however, proactive responses have been proven to increase the chances of surviving for those in harm’s way.
ALICE training, which is taught nationwide, was developed following examination of school shootings, such as the Columbine High School shootings in 1999. The ALICE program follows recommendations set forth by the Department of Education, New York Police Department, FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security.
SWCC employees went through ALICE training in September 2013.