A.L.I.C.E

ACTIVE SHOOTER EMERGENCY

            An active shooter emergency involves one or more person, using a firearm, engaging in a random or systematic shooting spree.  The vast majority of shootings in this country are over in a matter of minutes, involve persons known to one another, and are confined to a particular area.  An Active Shooting incident does not follow this template.  It may last for minutes or hours, range over a large and constantly changing area, and threaten everyone within close proximity of the shooter(s).

            Persons may or may not receive advance warning of an active shooter.  A witness, personal observation or the sound of gunshots may be the only alert you receive, leaving little time to react.  The sound of gunshots, unlike special effects in movies and television, may sound muffled and make a “pop, pop, pop” noise.  It is reasonable to assume that a series of such noises are gunshots and you should begin to take necessary precautions.

            Traditional response to this type of incident has been to shelter in place and wait for the police to arrive.  While this type of response is not completely wrong, case studies of several active shooter incidents have shown that using only this response has resulted in an increase in causalities.  The university has adopted the “ALICE” response plan to assist you in your response should this type of incident occur.

ALICE

“ALICE” is an acronym for five steps you can utilize in order to increase your chances of surviving a surprise attack by an Active shooter.  It is important to remember that the “ALICE” response does not follow a set of actions you “shall, must, will” do when confronted with an Active Shooter.  Your survival is paramount in this situation.  Deal with known information and do not worry about unknowns.  You may use only one or two parts of the response plan or you may have to utilize all five.  In this type of incident, your perception is the reality and you will be deciding what the appropriate action for you to take is.

ALERT – Can by anything

Gunfire
PA Announcement
Witness
Phone Alert

LOCKDOWN - This is a semi-secure starting point from which to make survival decisions.  If you decide not evacuate, secure the room.

Lock the door
Cover any windows in the door, if possible
Tie down the door, if possible, using belts, purse straps, shoe laces, etc.
Barricade the door with anything available (desks, chairs, etc.)
Look for alternate escape routes (windows, other doors)
Call 9-1-1

INFORM – Using any means necessary to pass on real time information.

Given in plain language
Can be derived from 911 call, video surveillance, etc.
Who, What, Where, When and How information
Can be used by people in the area or who may come into it to make common sense decisions
Can be given by “Flash Alerts”, PA Announcements or Police Radio speakers

COUNTER – This is the use of simple, proactive techniques should you be confronted by the Active Shooter.

Anything can be a weapon
Throws things at the shooters head to disrupt their aim
Create as much noise as possible
Attack in a group (swarm)
Grab the shooters limbs and head and take them to the ground and hold them there
Fight dirty-bite, kick, scratch, gouge eyes, etc.
Run around the room and create chaos
If you have control of the shooter call 911 and tell the police, where you are and listen to their commands when officers arrive on scene.

EVACUATE - Remove yourself from the danger zone as quickly as possible.

Decide if you can safely evacuate
Run in a zig-zag pattern as fast as you can
Do not stop running until you are far away from the area
Bring something to throw with you in case you would encounter the Active Shooter
Consider if the fall from a window will kill you
Break out windows and attempt to quickly clear glass from the frame
Consider using belts, clothing or other items as improvised rope to shorten the distance you would fall
Hang by your hands from the window ledge to shorten your drop
Attempt to drop into shrubs, mulch or grass to lessen the chance of injury
Do not attempt to drive from the area

If your organization or business is interested in receiving further information on ALICE or trainings for your facility, please contact Sauk County Emergency Management at (608) 355-4410.