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‘Anything it takes to stay safe’: New reality at APS
Dr. Gabriella Blakey, Albuquerque Public Schools chief operations officer, watches a district-produced emergency training video known as ALICE during a press conference held at the Albuquerque Public Schools headquarters in Albuquerque, N.M., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. The emergency training video will be viewed by middle and high school students to prepare them for what to do in the worst-case scenario of a dangerous intruder on school campus. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal)
Albuquerque Public Schools Chief Operations Officer Gabriella Blakey watches a recently-released video about school safety at the APS headquarters on Wednesday. The video goes over the district’s “ALICE” protocols, a proactive set of procedures describing what students should do if violence erupts at a school. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal)
The FBI met with teachers and school resource officers at ASK Academy in late August on how to handle and detect school violence
Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal
There’s a “new reality” in education, Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Scott Elder says, one that’s “difficult, emotional and – tragically – now unavoidable.”
That’s why APS is redoubling its efforts to keep kids and educators prepared for the worst through student-focused books and videos focused on emergency situations and physical safety measures designed to keep violence, and intruders, away from school campuses.
“Security and safety have changed,” APS Chief of Police Steve Gallegos said during a news conference Wednesday. “Simply hiding out is not effective. Removing potential victims from a dangerous situation is safer.”
In part because of incidents he called “unavoidable” last school year, Elder said there’s a sense of urgency surrounding school safety this year.
Two students were fatally shot on or near school campuses last school year. In one incident, 13-year-old Bennie Hargrove was killed at Washington Middle School – three days into the school year.
In the other, West Mesa High School junior Andrew Burson, 16, was shot near the school’s football field – that time off campus.
On Wednesday, APS released a 4½-minute video in English and Spanish that goes over existing safety protocols known as ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. The videos are directed at middle school and high school students, officials said.
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The ALICE procedures replaced past shelter-in-place protocols for every lockdown situation, according to the APS security webpage. They allow teachers and students to make more proactive decisions about what to do should violence erupt at a school, officials said.
That includes running from danger, throwing things at intruders or rushing them as a group and barricading doors with anything handy – whiteboards, desks, backpacks – to buy time to escape.
“Anything it takes to stay safe,” APS police Lt. Steven Marez said during the video. “Do not hide under tables or in corners. That makes you more of a target.”
ALICE training happens once per year, Gallegos said, and the video will be shown with the same regularity. That’ll happen in the coming weeks, Elder added.
A book directed at elementary school students, called “I’m Not Scared … I’m Prepared,” is also being provided. Parents were notified of the new video in a letter that went out on Wednesday. And there’s a longer, more in-depth version of the video that all staff will watch, Gallegos said.
The video, Elder said, was produced at the request of high school students asking for clarity about safety procedures in case there’s a dangerous intruder on campus.
Andy Doan, an Albuquerque High School student who’s on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, said that while he thinks ALICE training is very effective, not a lot of students know much about it – or what to do when there’s a dangerous situation on campus.
“We felt like it was inadequate … most students didn’t know what the protocols were,” he told the Journal in an interview in early August. “Most students don’t know what ALICE is, or what it stands for.”
The council requested more information about ALICE during one of their monthly meetings last spring, Elder said.
APS has implemented several other measures to make schools more safe, district officials said, including installing vestibules that become “man traps,” fencing to limit entrances to a campus, upgraded locks on each of the district’s 6,900 classrooms and allowing local law enforcement to take control of school surveillance cameras.
But, while the upgraded locks are on every classroom door, APS needs as much as $12 million to install other physical safety measures, like fencing and vestibules, at every school, Elder said. He added that the district is looking to the state Legislature to help get it across the finish line with “more accessible” capital funding for school safety.
“It takes money,” he said. “We could probably get it up inside two years.”
Alert is your first notification of danger.
ALERT is when you first become aware of a threat. The sooner you understand that you’re in danger, the sooner you can save yourself. A speedy response is critical. Seconds count.
Alert is overcoming denial, recognizing the signs of danger and receiving notifications about the danger from others. Alerts should be accepted, taken seriously, and should help you make survival decisions based on your circumstances.
L - Lockdown
Barricade the room. Prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER if needed.
If EVACUATION is not a safe option, barricade entry points into your room in an effort to create a semi-secure starting point.
Our training explains scenarios where Lockdown may be the preferable option and dispels myths about passive, traditional ‘lockdown only’ procedures that create readily identifiable targets and makes a shooter’s mission easier. ALICE trainers instruct on practical techniques for how to better barricade a room, what to do with mobile and electronic devices, how and when to communicate with police, and how to use your time in lockdown to prepare to use other strategies (i.e. Counter or Evacuate) that might come into play should the active shooter gain entry.
I - Inform
Communicate the violent intruder’s location and direction in real time.
The purpose of INFORM is to continue to communicate information in as real time as possible, if it is safe to do so. Armed intruder situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly, which means that ongoing, real time information is key to making effective survival decisions. Information should always be clear, direct and in plain language, not using codes. If the shooter is known to be in an isolated section of a building, occupants in other wards can safely evacuate while those in direct danger can perform enhanced lockdown and prepare to counter.
Video surveillance, 911 calls and PA announcements are just a few of the channels that may be used by employees, safety officers, and other personnel to inform others. An emergency response plan should have clear methods outlined for informing school employees, hospital workers, or any other employees of the location of a violent intruder.
C - Counter
Create Noise, Movement, Distance and Distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Counter is NOT fighting.
ALICE Training does not believe that actively confronting a violent intruder is the best method for ensuring the safety of those involved. Counter is a strategy of last resort. Counter focuses on actions that create noise, movement, distance and distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Creating a dynamic environment decreases the shooter’s chance of hitting a target and can provide the precious seconds needed in order to evacuate.
E - Evacuate
When safe to do so, remove yourself from the danger zone.
ALICE provides techniques for safer and more strategic evacuations. Evacuating to a safe area takes people out of harm’s way and hopefully prevents civilians from having to come into any contact with the shooter.
Did you know that you should break a window from the top corner as opposed to the center? Many useful techniques that civilians do not know exist and can save your life. ALICE trainers teach strategies for evacuating through windows, from higher floors and under extreme duress.
Alert is your first notification of danger.
ALERT is when you first become aware of a threat. The sooner you understand that you’re in danger, the sooner you can save yourself. A speedy response is critical. Seconds count.
Alert is overcoming denial, recognizing the signs of danger and receiving notifications about the danger from others. Alerts should be accepted, taken seriously, and should help you make survival decisions based on your circumstances.
L - Lockdown
Barricade the room. Prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER if needed.
If EVACUATION is not a safe option, barricade entry points into your room in an effort to create a semi-secure starting point.
Our training explains scenarios where Lockdown may be the preferable option and dispels myths about passive, traditional ‘lockdown only’ procedures that create readily identifiable targets and makes a shooter’s mission easier. ALICE trainers instruct on practical techniques for how to better barricade a room, what to do with mobile and electronic devices, how and when to communicate with police, and how to use your time in lockdown to prepare to use other strategies (i.e. Counter or Evacuate) that might come into play should the active shooter gain entry.
I - Inform
Communicate the violent intruder’s location and direction in real time.
The purpose of INFORM is to continue to communicate information in as real time as possible, if it is safe to do so. Armed intruder situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly, which means that ongoing, real time information is key to making effective survival decisions. Information should always be clear, direct and in plain language, not using codes. If the shooter is known to be in an isolated section of a building, occupants in other wards can safely evacuate while those in direct danger can perform enhanced lockdown and prepare to counter.
Video surveillance, 911 calls and PA announcements are just a few of the channels that may be used by employees, safety officers, and other personnel to inform others. An emergency response plan should have clear methods outlined for informing school employees, hospital workers, or any other employees of the location of a violent intruder.
C - Counter
Create Noise, Movement, Distance and Distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Counter is NOT fighting.
ALICE Training does not believe that actively confronting a violent intruder is the best method for ensuring the safety of those involved. Counter is a strategy of last resort. Counter focuses on actions that create noise, movement, distance and distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Creating a dynamic environment decreases the shooter’s chance of hitting a target and can provide the precious seconds needed in order to evacuate.
E - Evacuate
When safe to do so, remove yourself from the danger zone.
ALICE provides techniques for safer and more strategic evacuations. Evacuating to a safe area takes people out of harm’s way and hopefully prevents civilians from having to come into any contact with the shooter.
Did you know that you should break a window from the top corner as opposed to the center? Many useful techniques that civilians do not know exist and can save your life. ALICE trainers teach strategies for evacuating through windows, from higher floors and under extreme duress.
