During the March 26th Act 80 day, all Greensburg Salem faculty,
as well as The Nutrition Group staff members working in GS
schools, participated in the A.L.I.C.E. safety training with local law
enforcement. Officer Jason Dieter and Detective Chuck Irvin, with
assistance from other Greensburg Police Department officers, led
the training to proactively prepare staff for the potential threat of an
intruder in the building.
A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and
Evacuate. A.L.I.C.E. is not intended to be a sequential procedure,
but options for teachers and students in the event of an intruder
situation. Officer Dieter and Detective Irvin shared strategies to
increase the chance of survival utilizing the following components:
ALERT: Use plain and specific language to inform others of the
danger.
LOCKDOWN: Barricade the room and prepare to counter or
evacuate if necessary.
INFORM: Communicate the intruder’s location and direction in
real time. Knowledge is key to survival.
COUNTER: Counter is a last-ditch and worst-case scenario
option focusing on actions that create noise, movement,
distance and distraction.
EVACUATE: Leave the danger zone and evacuate to a safe area
out of harm’s way.
Following the training, Greensburg Salem High School, Dr. Robert
F. Nicely Elementary and Greensburg Salem Middle School faculty
participated in simulated intruder drills led by law enforcement at
each school. Teachers were able to test their ability to put A.L.I.C.E.
into practice and receive feedback from the officers.
Drills for Amos K. Hutchinson and James H. Metzgar Elementary
staff were held in the weeks to follow.
Students district-wide also participated in scheduled lockdown
drills facilitated by administration, law enforcement and school staff
during late March and throughout April. At Greensburg Salem Middle
School, Officer Dieter and Detective Irvin spoke to each grade level
individually about A.L.I.C.E. and answered students’ questions about
the lockdown drill before it took place.
Adam Wilson, a 6th grade
Detective Chuck Irvin and
student, reported he thought
Officer Jason Dieter presented
the presentation was very
the A.L.I.C.E training to district
staff.
informative. “Even if we are
afraid when someone comes
into the school, we don’t have
to be because there are things
we can do to be safe,” Adam
said. “We can barricade the
door or go to the nearest exit.
Teachers will help keep us safe.”
Superintendent Eileen
Amato feels practicing
emergency and crisis response
plans will help to maintain a
safe environment for children to focus on learning. “Particularly in
emergency situations, we are more confident, less anxious and better
able to cope when we know there is a plan in place,” she stated.
GS Welcomes Lycée Jean Monnet
Students
GS Faculty Participate
in A.L.I.C.E. Training