Hanover Public Schools – Hanover, MA
Hanover school officials are adopting new safety and security protocols that would give students and teachers a more proactive role in responding to a school shooter. The program, called ALICE – alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate – represents a shift in thinking from previous strategies that called for classrooms to lockdown and for students to shelter in place when faced with a violent event in school. “For years we have been training staff and students for lockdown,” said Hugh Galligan, high school vice principal and security liaison. “That is the appropriate response for certain emergencies, but not every emergency.” Under ALICE, teachers are trained in decision-making strategies, according to Supt. Matthew Ferron. Rather than lie in wait, students and teachers are encouraged to evaluate their situation and move toward evacuation, if it can be done safety. Read more
