District 204 announced an online ALICE training course tailored to parents and guardians to achieve an understanding of the ALICE principles. The course is led by Navigate 360, which trains schools and other communities in shooting preparedness by an ALICE Certified Instructor.

According to Navigate 360, the ALICE Program-an acronym for alert, lock-down, inform, counter, and evacuate works to teach participants safe and proactive procedures in the event of a shooter attack. Training is available for staff through modules and scenario situations taught by an ALICE instructor. This specific course, however, serves as a tool for parents and guardians to learn the safety measures required for their students. School Safety, Security, and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Ronald Wilke encourage parents and guardians to complete the online course.

“This is something that families can use whether you are at Target, church, a movie theater, or a mall,” Wilke said. “So we are looking at some kind of training for the whole family and of course, we want parents to reinforce that when they get home.”

An age-appropriate handout is also a part of the ALICE training that provides detailed information on the level of ALICE measures based on age. This handout further explains safety concepts specific to your child’s grade. The recommended path of action is different for students in kindergarten through high school.  The handout adds new measures that build  on the basic strategies of ALICE as the student ages

“So one of the reasons why we send that home is so that parents can have it then when the kids aged out of a particular age bracket, they can start reinforcing the next level,” Wilke said.

Although the ALICE program is usually taught in a school setting, promoting enhanced lock-down strategies allows for the concepts to be directly applied in circumstances outside of school. 

“[It is] just kind of that situational awareness and we hope that it helps students, just like any other thing that you were taught throughout your schooling,” Wilke said. “That when you go to college or when you go on in your adult life, whatever, then you have some concepts to keep yourself safe, right?”

For more information about why it is important to have option-based strategies and responses for violent critical incidents, linked is the ALICE training for parents program led by Navigate 360 along with the age-appropriate handout.