What Every School Needs to Know About Active Shooter Drills

In the wake of increasing school shootings across the United States, school safety is no longer a secondary concern—it’s a fundamental expectation. Families want to know their children are protected. Educators want to feel supported. And administrators are tasked with navigating complex legal, logistical, and emotional considerations as they prepare students and staff for the unthinkable.

Active shooter drills in schools have become a cornerstone of emergency preparedness. But as the frequency of mass shootings rises, so too do the questions: Are lockdown drills effective? When did they start? And are we doing enough to truly keep students and teachers safe?

This blog explores the origins, current practices, and evolving best practices of shooter drills in schools, while highlighting ALICE Training® as a trauma-informed, proactive program that empowers communities through knowledge and choice.

What Are Active Shooter Drills in Schools?

Active shooter drills are practice scenarios that help students and staff prepare for the possibility of an armed intruder, or violent critical incident, on campus. These drills simulate emergency conditions so participants can rehearse how to respond under stress, such as locking the classroom door, turning off lights, staying quiet, or evacuating.

Traditional lockdown drills focus on “lock the door and hide” procedures. However, the most recent guidelines provided by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 3000® for active shooter and hostile event response (ASHER) recommends multi-option responses to active shooter situations.

ALICE Training®, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate, equips schools with these layered options, helping individuals make informed decisions during high-stress, high-stakes situations.

When Did Active Shooter Drills Start in Schools?

The origin of active shooter drills in schools traces back to the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Before that, schools focused more on fire and weather emergencies. Columbine, and later, Virginia Tech in 2007, marked a shift in how schools approached internal threats.

In the years since, state and federal guidance has encouraged or mandated school drills across K–12 districts. These mandates led to widespread implementation, but also raised concerns about how these drills were delivered and what impact they might have on students’ mental health.

Do Active Shooter Drills Work?

Research suggests that students and staff tend to rise to the level of their training in emergencies. Drills help normalize procedures, reduce hesitation, and improve reaction times during chaotic moments.

The benefits of shooter drills in schools include:

• Faster, more coordinated responses
• Improved communication protocols
• Familiarity with emergency exits and classroom safety options
• Reduced chaos during real events

But these benefits are not always universal. When drills are poorly designed or implemented without context, they can cause fear, confusion, and even trauma.

Are Lockdown Drills Effective?

Lockdown-only drills, while common, offer limited flexibility. The traditional model, lock the door, turn off the lights, hide in silence, does not address the often dynamic realities of active shooter incidents.

Passive lockdowns leave students and teachers without any options. If the attacker enters the room or is already nearby, hiding may not be enough. What’s worse, some lockdown-only procedures fail to provide real-time updates, leaving those inside unaware of whether it’s safe to flee or fight back.

This is why more schools are turning to multi-option, situational responses like those taught in ALICE Training®. This approach teaches participants to assess their surroundings and respond accordingly by alerting of potential danger, informing of the details related to the threat, locking down, barricading, evacuating, or countering the attacker if no other options are available.

Trauma-Informed Alternatives to Traditional Drills

One of the most valid concerns around active shooter drills is the mental health impact on students, particularly younger children or those with past trauma.

A trauma-informed approach doesn’t abandon drills, it just takes a more careful approach. This means:

• Age-appropriate instruction
• Transparent communication
• Emphasis on empowerment over fear

ALICE Training® is built around these principles. Its curriculum is adapted by age and ability, with blended learning options that prepare schools without causing unnecessary distress.

“We don’t want students to feel afraid to come to school. We want them to feel confident that they know what to do, just like we teach fire drills,” says an ALICE-certified instructor.

Best Practices for Implementing Effective Active Shooter Drills

Drills should never feel like a surprise attack. When implemented thoughtfully, they help students and staff feel prepared—not panicked.

Here are key strategies to follow:

• Communicate openly with parents and caregivers about the purpose and format of drills.
• Debrief after drills to address questions, concerns, and areas of confusion.
• Integrate drills into broader emergency plans, including medical response, reunification, and threat assessment.
• Train regularly, updating protocols based on feedback, new evidence, and community input.

How ALICE Training® Supports Safer School Communities

ALICE Training® has been a leader in school safety for over two decades, offering a more adaptable, research-backed alternative to passive lockdown-only drills.

• Multi-option response model that adapts to evolving situations
• Blended delivery through in-person, online, and hands-on instruction
• Certified trainers who understand school dynamics and trauma-informed instruction
• Trauma-informed, age-appropriate design that prioritizes empowerment over fear
• Community-wide approach including students, staff, parents, and local law enforcement

Many students report feeling more confident and prepared after completing ALICE Training®, especially when the approach is age-appropriate and trauma-informed.

ALICE doesn’t teach fear. It teaches agency, and that makes all the difference in a real emergency.

Safety Is Not One-Size-Fits-All

As we face another school year marked by continued concerns over gun violence, the conversation around active shooter drills in schools must evolve. It’s not enough to check a compliance box. Students and staff deserve training that prepares them, protects their mental health, and adapts to the complex realities of today’s threats.

Lockdown drills alone are not enough.

Multi-option strategies like ALICE Training® give schools a better way forward—one that prioritizes safety, confidence, and community collaboration.