On Sept 27, the Pleasant Valley School District had the first ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) drill of the 2018-19 academic school year.
Though the Pleasant Valley district has been performing ALICE drills multiple times per school year, there have been multiple changes in protocol as the program had progressed. These adjustments affect how the drill proceeds, how realistic it is and how students and faculty go about preparing for the drill.
One noticeable change in the drill procedure is the addition of a starter pistol used to simulate the intruder’s weapon more realistically. This differs from the air horn used in years past, which concerned many students as it brought the feel of a school shooting to life. While the student body is informed of the date of the drill, the time when the drill will occur is not released.
Based on the information given, a drill could have occurred during class time, lunch, or any other time throughout the school day. The use of a starter pistol, as well as the unknown time of the drill, caused anxiety amongst some members of the student body. Senior Haleema Waheed said, “ The gun being used in the drill was a wake-up call for me. It made me realize that a tragedy like that could happen here, and I think it made everyone take the drill more seriously — Haleema Waheed
Teachers have always been affected by ALICE drills in terms of planning lessons around them. The new changes to the ALICE program have put even further emphasis on their daily routines at work, as they have to take new steps to prepare for drills accordingly. Dr. Lundberg, PV English and Social Studies teacher, says “The biggest adjustment I have made this year is keeping my door locked all of the time. While I block the door open during passing periods, having the door locked requires me to answer the door often during class. It’s an annoyance, but one that saves a step during an ALICE drill or, worse, an emergency.”
Evan Kilstrom • Oct 5, 2018 at 8:11 am
I believe the Alice drill is a great idea however it is very hard to replicate the active shooter situation.
Michael Sampson • Oct 4, 2018 at 11:40 pm
I understand that the drill can’t be done spontaneously, because there are students who may actually panic in the moment and it could get out of hand fast. I just believe that there could be ways to improve the manner we’re executing these drills in.