San Diego City College

It takes law enforcement five to seven minutes on average to arrive at the scene of an active shooter incident. This can be an eternity to bystanders targeted by a person whose sole intent is to kill as many people as possible in a short period of time. This was brought to life when I participated in a recent active shooter survival training called “ALICE” (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate) at San Diego City College. The ALICE training was informative and experiential. We practiced jamming doors. We barricaded entrances. We split into three groups in different classrooms to see which teams could survive during an active shooter drill. We swarmed and took down a police officer posing as an assailant. I have been through elementary, middle and high school. I have earned a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in college, and I have worked in education for over 20 years. Yet I had never been taught these survival skills before. Why aren’t we teaching this in every school and college? Sure, it’s important to learn how to read and write. Isn’t it just as important to learn how to stay alive? Read more