ALICE Training and NASRO (National Association of School Resource Officers) were pleased to present the First Annual Jake Ryker HERO Award to Jake Ryker on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at the 2015 NASRO National Conference.

About Jake Ryker 

Jake Ryker is the hero who responded proactively to stop the Thurston High School Shooting. On May 21, 1998, 17 year old Jake was a student at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon. On that fateful day, Jake was sitting in the cafeteria when another student walked into the building and started shooting. Jake’s instinctive response was to be proactive rather than passive. Despite being shot and wounded by the attacker, Jake led the effort to subdue the gunman and held him until law enforcement arrived. Jake was able to initiate taking back control while under attack.

This event verified that counter tactics, victims taking back control, were not only possible but had been used successfully. This tragedy occurred before the ALICE strategies were formalized and it has become the example that ALICE points to when told that training on counter strategies will never work. Proactive response has been shown to work in mitigating casualties time and time again, which is why it is so important to highlight individuals like Jake, who use human behavior to stop violence.

About the Jake Ryker HERO Award

The award was created by ALICE Training to honor individuals who stand up in the face of danger and act. It is an award for those who use human behavior during violent attacks to save lives. Jake’s story proves the ALICE philosophy that human behavior and proactive response can save lives; that people can be counted on to step up in times of great danger and bravely take proactive action to save others. This award is for those who use human behavior during violent attacks to save lives.

This is the first annual award with more to come. If you know other heroes who are deserving of this award, please go to www.ALICEtraining.com/hero-award to submit a nomination and learn more about this honor.

ALICE Training is changing how schools, universities and businesses respond to armed intruders. ALICE (Alert, Lock-down, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate), developed after Columbine, teaches strategies to survive a life-threatening event. Supported by educators and law enforcement across the country, ALICE is quickly becoming the new standard of care.