Public Safety and Violence on Campus

A.L.I.C.E. Information

“ALICE” is an acronym for 5 steps you can utilize 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 or will” do when confronted with an Active Shooter.

Your survival is paramount in this situation. Deal with known information and don’t 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 decide the appropriate action to take.

ALERT – Can be anything.

Gunfire
Witness
PA announcement
Phone alert

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

Lock the door.
Cover any windows in the door if possible.
Barricade the door with anything available (desks, chairs, etc.).
Look for alternate escape routes (windows, other doors).
Call 911.
Move out of the doorway in case gunfire comes through it.
Silence or place cell phones on vibrate.
Once secured, do not open the door for anyone. Police will enter the room when the situation is over.
Gather weapons (coffee cups, chairs, books, pens, etc.) and mentally prepare to defend yourself or others.
Put yourself in a position to surprise the active shooter should they enter the room.

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

Given in plain language.
Can be derived from 911 calls, video surveillance, etc.
Who, what, when, where 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 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.
Throw things at the shooters’ heads 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 the scene.

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

Decide if you can safely evacuate.
Run in a zigzag 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 shooter.
Consider if the fall from a window will kill you.
Break out windows and attempt to clear glass from the frame quickly.
Consider using belts, clothing or other items as an improvised rope to shorten the distance you may 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.

Secondary Issues:

Responding police will have their weapons drawn and ready for use. They do not know exactly who the shooter is and will probably point weapons at you. Just remain calm and follow any directions they may give you. You may be asked questions, patted down, and given orders to exit in certain ways.

Responding police are there to stop the Active Shooter as soon as possible. They will bypass injured people and will not help you escape. Only after the shooter is stopped will they begin to provide other assistance.

If you come into possession of a weapon, do NOT carry or brandish it! Police may think you are the Active Shooter. If possible, put it in a trash can and carry it with you. If you come across police, calmly tell them what you are carrying and why. Follow their commands.

Be prepared to provide first aid. Think outside the box. Tampons and feminine napkins can be used to stop blood loss. Shoelaces and belts can be used to secure tourniquets. Weighted shoes can be tied around a person’s head to immobilize it. Remember it may be several hours until an injured person can safely be moved. Any actions you take to treat them may save their life.

If you are in lockdown for a long period, consider issues such as bathroom use, keeping people calm, etc.

Discuss beforehand with people in your office or classes where you will meet up should you have to evacuate and make it a place easily accessible and far away from the scene.

Talk to your students and co-workers beforehand to know if they have any special skills.

Consider strategic placement of these people in a classroom or office setting.

You may have current or ex-military personnel, medically trained persons, or even people trained in martial arts who can assist in this type of incident.

Active Shooter: What You Can Do on FEMA’s Website

Run – Hide – Fight

Note: This program is endorsed by the Department of Homeland Security.

RUN

If you can escape an active shooting, run.
Run immediately – leave everything behind.
Encourage others to escape with you, but do not wait on them.
When you are safely away from the shooter, then call, or have someone call, 911 and report what you know.

HIDE

If escape appears impossible, hide.
Lock and barricade doors, turn off lights, silence cell phones completely and remain quiet.
Take cover behind furniture or fixtures away from doorways.
Stay away from windows.
Prepare yourself and others for FIGHT

FIGHT

If running or hiding is not possible or fails, and you are confronted by the aggressor, fight.
Use items around you as weapons to fight with.
Fight to create an opportunity to escape.

Hostile Individuals on Campus Grounds

When a hostile individual is actively causing death or serious physical injury or the threat of imminent death or serious physical injury to person(s) on the grounds of Owens Community College, we recommend the following procedures be implemented:

Run away from the threat if you can, as fast as you can.
Do not run in a straight line.
Use vehicles, bushes, trees and anything that could block you from the hostile person(s) view while you are running.
If you can get away from the immediate area of danger, summon help and warn others.
If you decide to hide, take into consideration the area in which you are hiding. Will you be found here? Is it a good spot to remain hidden?
If the person(s) are causing death or serious physical injury to others and you are unable to run or hide, you may choose to play dead if other victims are around you.
If you are caught by the intruder and you are not going to fight back, do not look the intruder in the eyes. Obey all commands.
The last option you have, if caught in an open area outside, may be to fight back. This is dangerous, but depending on your situation, this could be your last option.
Do not approach emergency responders – let them come to you.

ONCE THE POLICE ARRIVE, OBEY ALL COMMANDS. Do not run when police are present unless directed to do so. Follow all instructions the police may give you. The police may handcuff you, make you put your hands in the air or direct you to lie on the ground. This is done for safety reasons and once circumstances are evaluated by the police, they will give you further directions to follow. Remember the police may not know who the intruder is.

This training guide cannot cover every possible situation that might occur, but it is a training tool that can reduce the number of injuries or death if put into action as soon as a situation develops. Time is the most important factor in the optimal management of these types of situations.

Encountering A Hostile Individual

If the person(s) are causing death or serious physical injury to others and you are unable to run or hide you may choose:

To play dead if other victims are around you.
Fight back. This is dangerous, but depending on your situation, this could be your last option.
As a group, CHARGE/SWARM the intruder.
Yell and throw items at his/her head.
Your goal is to disrupt the aim or line of sight.
Yell and at the same time run at the intruder with a textbook over your head, cover pointed toward the hostile individual. The hostile individual may shoot at the book instead of you.
Grab the weapon.
After subduing the intruder, lay on their extremities, pile on top of them as a group and control their head and throat.
Maintain control of the intruder until police arrive.
If you are caught by the intruder and are not going to fight back, obey all commands and do not look the intruder in the eyes.

ONCE THE POLICE ARRIVE, OBEY ALL COMMANDS. Do not run when police are present unless directed to do so. Follow all instructions police may give you. The police may handcuff you, make you put your hands in the air or direct you to lie on the ground. This is done for safety reasons and once circumstances are evaluated by the police, they will give you further directions to follow. Remember the police may not know who the intruder is.

Hostile Individual in a Campus Building

When a hostile individual is actively causing death or serious bodily injury or the threat of imminent death or serious bodily injury to a person(s) within a building, we recommend the following procedures be implemented:

Although this guide refers primarily to academic buildings, it should be stated that these procedures are also relevant to administrative buildings and other common buildings on the campus.

Faculty should immediately lock or barricade the students and themselves in the classroom.
If possible, cover any windows or openings that have a direct line of sight into the hallway.
If communication is available, call Ext. 7575 or (567) 661-7575 or 9-1-1.
Do not sound the fire alarm. A fire alarm would signal the occupants to evacuate the building and thus place them in potential harm as they attempted to exit.
Barricade the door using tables, desks, chairs, or other items found in the room.
Stay away from the windows.
Turn off lights and all audio equipment.
Try to remain as calm as possible, if possible try to calm others as well.
Keep everyone together.
Move occupants in the room to an area that is not visible from the outside or visible through a door.
Keep classrooms secure until police arrive and give you directions.
If you are not in a classroom, try to get to a safe location in the building or get out of the building.
Stay out of open areas and be as quiet as possible.

If for some reason you are caught in an open area such as a hallway or lounge, you must decide what you are going to do. This is a very crucial time and it can possibly mean life or death.

You can try to hide, but make sure it is a well-hidden space or you may be found as the intruder moves through the building looking for victims.

If you think you can safely make it out of the building by running then do so. If you decide to run, do not run in a straight line. Attempt to keep objects such as desks, cabinets, fixtures, etc., between you and the hostile individual. Once outside, again do not run in a straight line. Use trees, vehicles and other objects to block you from the view of intruders. When away from the immediate area of danger, summon help any way you can and warn others.