OREGON, Ohio — For years, ALICE training has been implemented in our classrooms. But on Monday, families in Oregon got the chance to learn for themselves in case of an emergency.
Although generally connected to schools, the training can be used during any threat at any time. Parents and community members said it’s something they wanted to learn after an incident at a football game.
It was night that's changed the school.
"It scared people," Officer Sara Shaw of the Oregon Police Department said.
Two weeks ago, students thought they saw a gun at the Clay High School Football game. They immediately alerted others of the threat and evacuated the stadium.
No gun or threat was found, but school leaders said students acted as they should. However, some adults did not know exactly what to do.
"You did see a lot of folks sitting in the stands that didn't really know what was going on while the kids were running out,” Oregon City Schools Superindentent Hal Gregory said. “We wanted to bring the message to our parents and to our community so if something were to happen that they are in the immediate vicinity of they know how to react."
In order to help families and to make sure the district is better prepared for an emergency, school leaders created a series of safety forums and trainings.
Oregon police explained ALICE to adults on Monday; something school resource officers have been teaching kindergarten and older students for years.
The acronym stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate. Families got an in-depth look at Oregon's plan and how they work to prepare their students.
"It's a much better feeling to know what they are being trained to do and I know that my grandson will do that,” Oregon grandparent Rita Arvay said.
While classrooms are equipped to help students stay safe, police said there are some key points people should always keep in mind no matter where they are.
"Number one, once your given that alert you need to think about getting out of there,” Shaw said. “Evacuation needs to be absolutely key. If you cannot evacuate, lockdown or barricade, you know. Put yourself in a safe place as best as you can."
While officers are working daily with students in school, they urge parents to talk with their children about their training, safety and create a plan of your own because it does make a difference.
"Just because we teach it and we come here and do this every day doesn't mean that I am actively going home and doing it,” Shaw said. “It is intentional, you have to have a plan, you have to make time you have to make it a priority."
Police said distance is also key and parents need to teach kids to get away from danger as soon as they can, even if that means away from you. They also said it’s important to have a reunification plan, just like they have at school.
This ALICE training is just the first of a number of training forums to be held by Oregon City Schools.
The next one is scheduled for Oct. 28 and will focus on situational awareness.