ALICE and Standard Procedures
ALICE Training
Acting under the guidance of the Federal Department of Homeland Security and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Fremont School District 79 adopted the “ALICE” protocol to enhance security. Under ALICE, students and staff are empowered to take the steps necessary to increase survivability. ALICE means:
A = Alert: Staff is notified that a threat is present, and that defensive action is to be taken;
L = Lockdown: As a first defense, students are ushered out of sight and protected behind locked doors;
I = Inform: Staff is notified of the nature and location of the threat to build situational awareness;
C = Counter: As a last resort, staff and students may work to either physically avoid or engage the threat; and
E = Evacuate: As a preferred action, staff and students will move rapidly away from the threat.
FSD79 students are trained annually in an age-appropriate manner for how to respond should an intruder enter one of the schools.
Soft Lockdown
A soft lockdown is primarily used in two different scenarios. The first is when conditions exist outside of the school building that could potentially present a threat to the safety of the students and staff. The second is a situation inside the building where the school or local emergency responders need to keep students and staff in their classrooms and away from an incident or activity. During a soft lockdown students and staff can continue normal classroom activities.
Hard Lockdown
A hard lockdown is used when a serious/volatile situation exists that could jeopardize the safety of students and staff. No one is allowed to leave their rooms/offices during a hard lockdown.
Evacuation
An evacuation is necessary when it is determined that conditions outside of the building are safer than those inside the building.
Shelter-In-Place
Sheltering-in-place provides refuge for students and staff inside the school building during a weather, hazardous materials, or other similar emergencies. Students and staff move to designated shelter areas that maximize their safety.