According to the Oklahoman, in August there was a shooting in Oklahoma at Choctaw-Del City High School football game. According to the Washington Post, there also was a shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus. Both tragedies occurred outside where students were unsure of protocol when not in the building.
At Antioch Community High School the plan for an intruder is ALICE; alert, listen, inform, communicate and evacuate. ALICE aims to get students out of the building in the safest way possible in the event of an intruder. During an emergency, someone will communicate through the hallway speakers where the intruder is located inside the building. From there, students and teachers in each room can decide whether to run, go out the window or barricade the door.
“The days of practicing a lockdown by hunkering in a corner and locking the door are over,” Dean of Students Kurt Sooley said. “That is not what the intent of ALICE is now, if you can get out you get out. If the information is that the violent intruder could be in close proximity, you lock the door, you barricade and you get ready to counter the situation.”
Another precaution is Navigate, a mobile app staff members have the option to download Navigate on their personal phones which is a way for staff to communicate efficiently in case of an emergency. Additionally, blue strobe lights are placed around the outskirts of the building. The blue strobes are helpful if there is an intruder inside the building, the lights will be turned on, which informs everyone outside that there is an emergency occurring in the building.
Each year, teachers take the time to remind students about the ALICE protocol. However, the subject of what to do if a shooting occurs at a football game, during gym class or outside assembly has not been addressed.
“When that happens [outside active intruder] the answer is to create space between yourself and the active shooter,” Athletic Director Mike Maloney said. “If there is no space to be had or you are in close proximity, then the answer is to distract them by throwing anything you have.”
In a perfect world students and staff would never have to worry about an intruder. However, in the event of an emergency, they are prepared. Whether the situation is inside or outside of school, if someone sees something, they need to say something so tragedy can potentially be avoided.
