Police Department Receives Earmark for ALICE Training

Winthrop Police Department has received a $250,000 earmark grant for child safety and dedicated a portion of the grant to ALICE training for the School Department. ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate, is the principal training solution designed to increase a group and individual’s odds of survival during a violent intruder event. Enacted after the tragedies at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook, the training strategy goes beyond the conventional lockdown training that teachers have received in the past and strives for a more aggressive approach.

“ALICE training gives staff members more options,” said Police Chief Terence Delehanty. “When people fight back, there ends up being far less victims. This is a switch from traditional active shooter training and is a more formal approach.”

The beginning stage of the training will be rolled out at the start of the 2018-2019 school year and the goal is to get it done as soon as possible. Teachers will have an opportunity to work on the online portion of the training on the first day of school. Following the online training, skilled instructors from the school district, Fire Department and Police Department will lead the in-person exercises that are designed to educate staff members on the various options when faced with an active shooter situation. All school employees must receive the training and will be required to demonstrate necessary skills, and in turn, instructors will provide them with advice on appropriate measures before they are officially certified.

“This is an important cooperative effort to ensure that we are prepared in case of an emergency,” said School Committee member and parent, Jen Powell. “It’s great to have everyone coming together for the safety of our students.”

This will be one of the many efforts designed to bring a sense of partnership between the school district and the Fire and Police departments, adding yet another level of safety in the community. The training will be an ongoing process. After School Superintendent Lisa Howard certifies that all staff members have taken the online training, the real-life scenario courses will be scheduled and continue throughout the year and into next year.

“This training confirms the ongoing commitment of the school district, the police department, and the fire department to maximize every avenue to keep our kids safe,” said Howard. “Our goal is to find additional support systems and put them in place. We are doing everything in our power to ensure multiple layers of safety and we are dedicated to protecting our students.”

Both the Social Sentinel and ALICE programs were made possible through state funding secured by House Speaker Robert DeLeo on behalf of the town of Winthrop.