Mason City Schools – Mason City, IA
Mason City’s district-wide ALICE training was held this past Friday. Lectures as well as hands-on drills and skill training was conducted. A comical, but important lesson was described in the local news when four individuals practiced the “Swarm” Technique on Mason City High School Associate Principal Dan Arjes.
The local report emphasized the importance of being alert and on the lookout for dangerous situations as well as alerting and informing others so that they can respond quickly. “The key with ALICE is that it meets the need to have multiple response options, not a single mandated response,” said Ryal, one of three police officers instructing the class. “That’s how the program is designed to increase survivability.”
With the readiness of having a variety of methods to respond to the threat, in-the-moment decisions can be more appropriate for the immediate needs. Although that might mean working together to counter an intruder, it can also mean safely locking down the location until first responders arrive and/or evacuating as effectively as possible.
ALICE Training class held last Friday was only the beginning for Mason City Schools. The report stated that five hundred staffers in the district will undergo ALICE training this year. Read More
