This powerpoint is for students grades 6-12.

School safety is important to everyone, and it’s important for everyone at school to be prepared to be safe.

There are lots of things we do that are forms of safety preparedness: We are careful pedestrians when crossing streets. We avoid germs by washing our hands before eating. We practice various types of safety drills at school.

We have Fire Drills so we‘re ready and know what to do in case of fire. We have Lockdown Drills so we’re ready and know what to do in the event we need to stay safe from an external or internal threat. You can give examples of reasons people might need to stay safe inside of the school: there could be someone or something (wildlife) nearby that we need to stay safe from. There could be someone who entered our school that poses a real or potential threat.

A = ALERT L = LOCKDOWN I = INFORM C= COUNTER E= EVACUATE The strategies we use in a Lockdown Drill are called “ALICE” strategies: A = ALERT L = LOCKDOWN I = INFORM C= COUNTER E= EVACUATE

A = ALERT A stands for ALERT. ALERT means that we are alerted to the fact that there is an external threat or internal threat. Always stop and listen if there is an announcement.

L = LOCKDOWN L stands for LOCKDOWN. LOCKDOWN means we: lock the doors get quiet stay out of sight don’t try to hide in a closet or closed space spread apart get ready to move around MODIFIED LOCKDOWN means that we lock the outside doors but we can move around inside of our school. You can give examples of modified lockdown such as there is a bear that has been reported nearby, and students need to stay inside until the bear has been removed or has left the area. For older students, you might give the example of a police activity in the area that does not directly threaten the school.

I = INFORM I stands for INFORM. INFORM means that we make sure everyone knows about the internal or external threat and that we share as much information as we can with others in the school on an ongoing basis. This means calling the office to report if there are any updates about sights or sounds you are hearing, etc. so up-to-date information is provided to the people handling the emergency.

C= COUNTER C stands for COUNTER. COUNTER means that if there’s an intruder in the building, we can try to make things as hard as possible for that person. We can: try to block the door with furniture try to tie the door shut look for things that we can pick up and throw at the intruder Blocking the door can be done with desks, tying the door handle shut, etc. Anything can be thrown at someone to slow them down or deter them, large or small items.

E= EVACUATE E stands for EVACUATE. EVACUATE means that if there is an intruder in the building and it seems safe to do so, we can leave the building and run to a safe place. Running in a zigzag line is a good idea. We’ll discuss a safe place where we can meet up off campus. Evacuation can be done through a window or a door. You can explain running in a zigzag line as being a good way to confuse someone else and to be a moving target. As a building you will want to discuss where people might meet up after an emergency if they were to evacuate.

In a Lockdown, a teacher or staff member may give you instructions about what to do, but if there’s not an adult nearby, you can decide by yourself what to do.

Practicing ALICE actions will prepare everyone so we’re ready to be safe if we have a Lockdown.