Parent University to Focus on ALICE Training April 16

Parents and volunteers are invited to attend a Parent University at the High School Lecture Hall Monday, April 16 from 5:30 – 8:00 pm. The focus of the Parent University will be on safety and security at Linn-Mar schools.

With greater emphasis than ever before on school safety, the event will provide Linn-Mar parents and volunteers an understanding of school safety efforts through ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training the district provides to all students, teachers, and staff.

Working in partnership with the Marion Police and Fire Department, Linn-Mar’s certified ALICE trainers will provide an abbreviated session that will include information on student lessons, breakout sessions, and an active scenario conducted by the MPD.

According to Leisa Breitfelder, director of student services and the district’s crisis manager, “The Parent University on ALICE training will provide parents with the knowledge they can use to most effectively respond to an active shooter situation.”
“Unfortunately, active shooters are not only occurring in school settings,” Breitfelder said. The Parent University will teach options for a response if you are faced with an active shooter situation in any location. “A parent can assess the situation and react decisively in order to save lives and valuable time.”

Those attending the event are asked to park in the south lot and enter the high school through door #16.
ALICE training is the original options-based response program that was designed to replace an inadequate secure-in-place mandated response plan. ALICE addresses the fallacies of a one-size-fits-all response plan by explaining the truths and realities of Violent Intruder events. The reality is that extremely tragic outcomes in these events can be mitigated. They are very much survivable. Through training and empowerment, citizens can apply the ALICE strategies and improve survival chances in any environment where they may find themselves confronted by an active shooter or violent intruder. ALICE strategies are now also mirrored and recommended by many Federal and State official guidelines.