Preparing Faculty andStudents

To Survive a ViolentIntruder

A.L.i.C.E.

AlertLockdown informCounter, and/orEvacuate

ALERT Get the word out! Use clear, concise language to convey the type and location of the event.

LOCKDOWN Good starting point, allows aggressive use of current technology and procedures.

INFORM Communication keeps the shooter off balance, be aggressive. Information allows for good decision making.

COUNTER Apply Skills to distract, confuse and gain control.

EVACUATE Reduce the number of potential targets for the shooter, and reduce the chances of victims resulting from friendly fire when help arrives.

ALiCE is a set of proactive strategies that increase chances of survival during an active shooter event.

Traditional response is thedefensive strategy of

Securing-in-Place, calledLOCKDOWN.

Lockdown is a valuableoption,

sizeBUT it is not a one

fits all response.

Average Active Shooter event lasts 4-8 minutes

What is the average time for Law Enforcement toarrive?

Virginia Tech had the fastest response time everfor an active shooter event.

3 minutes 2 fully armed swat teams arrived

They were 800 yards away when shooting started.

What was the “worst” active shooter case inAmerica, based on “body count”?

Virginia Tech

In an active shooter scenarioevery second counts

April 20, 1999 Columbine High School

12 students and one teacher killed24 other students were wounded

What happened to the other 1,900 Students?

They evacuated

Columbine Library12 of the 24 were injured in the Library

Library10 Of the 12 killed were in the

April 20, 1999 Columbine High School12 students and one teacher killed24 other students were wounded

12 of the 24 injured were in the Library10 Of the 12 killed were in the Library

12 injured, 10 killed when there was aEmergency Exit a few feet away.

AlertLockdown

It was how they weretrained but it didn’t fit

the situation

Virginia Tech

LOCKDOWN IN ACTION

Students take cover in French Class in Holden Hall at Virginia Tech,next door to Norris Hall. Photo by Chase Damiano

Left: Norris Hall Right: Holden Hall

Norris Hall

Norris Hall09:40 AM

Room 20614 present10 killed2 wounded

Norris HallRoom 207First entry:13 present, 5 killed,6 wounded, the room was barricaded after the first entry.

Norris HallRoom 21119 present12 killed6 wounded

Norris HallRoom 20512 present0 killed0 woundedThey barricaded.

Norris HallShooting lasted 9 minutes

28 died using standard passive lockdown2 died using barricading and evacuation

Room 20419 present2 killed3 woundedThey jumped out of the window.

Counters

BarricadingDistraction techniquesSwarm technique

Counters May 21, 1998 - Thurston High School: An active shooter entered the cafeteria and began shooting at students with a rifle. Two students were killed and 25 others were wounded. As he was reloading his rifle, the shooter was subdued by seven other students who held him until the police arrived.Jun 9, 2009 - South Orangetown Middle School: A Mad parent comes in and fires 3 shots at the principal, the Superintendent, who happened to be in the office disarms gunman, no injuries reported.

August 25, 2009: A former student armed with 10 pipe bombs, a chainsaw and a sword chases principal down a hallway at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, CA. A guidance counselor tackles former student and disarms him.

February 2010 - University of Alabama: A female professor who was deniedtenure opened fire killing 3 and wounding 3 at a faculty meeting, another female staff member pushed shooter out of the room and then barricaded the door.February 2010: Two teenage students were shot by gunman with a rifle, shooter was then tackled by a Seventh-grade math teacher and disarmed.

Violent intruder in the building

Hot Zones

Crisis Area

AlertLockdown

Staff, this is a lockdown, Locks, lights, out of sight. ALERT – Initial alert may be a gunshot, PA announcement etc. If able, give the type and location of the event.

Violent intruder in the building

Hot Zones

Crisis Area

inform

“Shots Fired in the commons area. White male, blue pants, tan jacket.” Communicate real time information. Use clear and direct language using any communication means possible.

Violent intruder in the building

Hot Zones

Crisis Area

Counter, and/orEvacuate

As a last resort, distract shooters ability to shoot accurately. Move toward exits while making noise, throwing objects or, adults swarm shooter.

In an Active shooter situation, DO NOT use red and green cards to mark student locations – this identifies to the shooterwhich classrooms are empty and whichones are occupied. Classroom doors should be locked. What is your current practice?

The philosophy behind the ALiCE plan is:

- Utilize technology and information in ways that allow staff and students to make informed decisions.

- Remove as many people as possible from the DANGER zone to minimize targets of opportunity.

- Provide realistic training so that those “stuck” in the CRISIS zone, if confronted, have options available to them to enhance their chances of surviving this violent encounter.

copyright 2007 Response Options

Dealing with a threat: What should staff and students do, and not do, when confronted by an armed attacker? Escape or evading is always an option!

First thing that needs to occur is a change of mindset. The good guys need to understand just because the bad guy has a weapon and we don’t, it does not mean you’ve been shot. As long as a person can move, they need to move and try to escape. Just having to hit a moving target over a static, passive target raises the necessary skill level of the bad guy exponentially. copyright 2007 Response Options

Interrupt Decision Cycle of the Shooter

The bad guy has come to your school with a plan: To hurt as many people as possible in the time afforded to him. He is under the belief that either everyone is going to do nothing to counter his plan, or they will do exactly as he instructs because today he is in-charge. By engaging in ACTIONS that do not fall into line with his expectations, we will cause him to commit mental functions to this new dynamic he’s facing. This will cause hesitation, which equates to time.

OODA LOOP

copyright 2007 Response Options

The shooter must:ObserveOrientDecideAct

Interrupt the process.

Turn Chaos and Mayhem into an Advantage

So what ACTIONS can we undertake to cause this hesitation? There should be no specific mandate as this limits the imagination. A series of options should be offered. Our goal is to cause sensory overload on behalf of the Bad Guy. We want him to see things he did not plan to see, hear things he did not plan to hear, and feel things he did not plan to feel. The simple act of throwing any object at a person’s face causes an instinctual reaction- protect the head. Shooting is a physical skill. It requires certain acts to be done competently. If a person is reacting instinctively to stimuli

copyright 2007 Response Options

we are providing, will he be able to competently engage in the skill of firing a weapon at a dynamic target? This is called distraction. Distractions are proven tactics used to gain the element of surprise or confuse the opponent, both good things for staff and students encountering an attack.

Why Distract?In order to shoot accurately a person must be able to complete a physical process:

1. Find the target2. Put the front sight on the target3. Focus on front sight copyright 2007 Response Options

4. Remain steady5. Squeeze trigger

So, the way we prevent an active shooter from hurting us is to prevent one of the above necessary steps from happening. The great thing is that it is really very easy to interrupt this process. Now, interrupting the process does not mean stopping the ability to shoot. It means stopping the ability to shoot accurately, big difference. The reason to state this is to let you know that we cannot guarantee there will be no casualties when you enact your plan of action. But common sense tells you that by interrupting the active shooters ability to shoot accurately, and also severely limiting the time he will copyright 2007 Response Options

have to fire his weapon, we limit his ability to hurt large numbers of people. This is how we win.

How to interrupt the process:

Escape…he can’t find a target. If escape is not possible, make it as hard as possible for him. MOVE, DO NOT STAY STILL. Distract….limit shooter’s ability to focus, throw anything you can get your hands on. While he is ducking and covering, overwhelm/swarm. Remember, you are the real first responder. In a crisis, you must think as such, act as such, and lead as such for you and your students to survive. copyright 2007 Response Options