Albert Gallatin staff receives ALICE training
Roberto M. Esquivel | Herald-Standard
Robert Renzi (left), a trained instructor with Response Options, demonstrates how to distract a would-be attacker as part of crisis-management training offered to teachers in the Albert Gallatin Area School District on Friday. The program trains participants to distract and disrupt the gunman by any means possible.
Renzi (left)demonstrates how to disarm an acitve shooter as part of crisis-management training offered to teachers in the Albert Gallatin Area School District on Friday.
Roberto M. Esquivel |Herald-Standard
Staff in the Albert Gallatin Area School District on Friday took part in unique crisis-management training to help prepare should there be an emergency situation involving a school shooter or violent intruder in one of the school buildings.
Robert Renzi, a retired Connellsville teacher, conducted the training for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate or ALICE.
“There’s a point to where words don’t work, reasoning doesn’t work, and you have to defend yourself,” Renzi told the AG faculty.
Renzi is a trained instructor with Response Options, a critical incident response training company specializing in active shooter and violent intruder response strategies. Renzi also teaches self-defense classes.
“I train staff and students to deal with the violent intruder in their buildings during that small window of time between when police are called and they actually get to the threat,” Renzi told the Herald-Standard in March when he conducted training for staff in the Connellsville Area School District.
“That window of time is anywhere from two to 15 minutes, depending on the location of the building and the police in the immediate area,” Renzi said.
The cost of the program is $725 and was approved by Superintendent Carl Bezjak for training in the district.
“This is a way to better prepare our staff to manage in the event of an active shooter situation. This program helps to understand how to minimize casualties,” said Bezjak.
“If any of our schools or employees are faced a situation such as an active shooter or violent intruder, they will be better prepared and given a choice of how to react,” said Chris Pegg, secondary education director.
Pegg said the training gives staff options in addition to locking down buildings.
“If that person is trying to get into your room and you’re locked in you’re kind of a sitting duck. This can give our employees options what to do,” Pegg said.
According to Renzi, ALICE training does not replace current school district protocol, but provides staff with training above the usual lockdown procedure.
“What do you do if that guy is in your lockdown area? There’s no answer to that. We need something more than what we have,” Renzi said.
Renzi told the staff that many of those who die in active shooter situations are acting passively or cooperating with the shooter.
“If you’re a passive, static target, you’ll become a victim.”
ALICE trains participants to distract and disrupt the gunman by any means possible.
“You’ve got a purse, shoes, cell phone, throw it,” said Renze.
Renzi said the shortcomings of locked down buildings is the victims spend too long in the crisis zone while law enforcement tries to locate the shooter and medical attention is withheld, in many cases, until the building is clear.
In addition, when a building is locked down, administration and law enforcement benefit from command and control of the building, however, Renzi said, so does the gunman.
“He knows where everyone is. He’s not stupid, he knows you’re barricaded in a classroom. It’s convenient for him, too.”
Renzi suggested teachers prepare their classrooms by having items such as hammers, scissors, screwdrivers, spray paint, fire extinguishers and rocks to use as makeshift weapons.
The control and evacuation portion of the program can be the most useful portion of ALICE in reducing casualties and potential targets, according to Renzi.
“Counter is your last resort, but it’s something you need to have in your arsenal.”
Bezjak said though the training is part of the district’s crisis management, faculty is not mandated to react as ALICE training suggests.
“We’re using it as a suggestion and a possibility to save lives. But the training is an effective approach.”
School director and crisis management team member Jeff Myers is a certified ALICE instructor.
He said the program allows teachers to take a more proactive approach to an emergency situation.
Myers said he feels teachers will embrace the training program.
Kelly Hawking, elementary school counselor, said giving staff another option to keep everyone safe is a good approach.
“We’re here to protect these kids. That’s our priority,” she said. “I would never hesitate to do what I had to do to disarm or distract someone.”
Bezjak said the next phase will be to discuss and decide how the information will be disseminated to students.
He said parents would be notified about the district’s intentions, but he feels parents will be happy with the proactive approach the district is taking for safety of all of its students.