On Nov. 24, Beachwood police conducted an assembly for Beachwood students to discuss procedures in the event of a school shooting.

For the last two years, Beachwood has adopted an approach called ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

“[ALICE] is a newer conceptualization of safety training for public spaces,”  BHS Principal Edward Klein said.

A 2013 FBI study of incidents in the U.S. indicated that school shootings have risen from 6.4 to 16.4 per year between 2006 and 2013.

ALICE was developed as a result of research and observation of previous school shootings. According to ALICE’s creators, students and teachers were previously easy targets in the event of a school shooting. The goal of the program is to provide other options in order to reduce casualties if such an event were to occur.

Beachwood Superintendent Dr. Richard Markwardt was not immediately sold on ALICE, but came to embrace it.

A few years ago, Markwardt said he was surprised to learn that a teacher did not know he could fight back and exit the school in an emergency.

After consideration of this information and a review of current practices, administrators decided to adopt the ALICE procedures and coordinate security efforts with the Beachwood police department.

Students welcome the new approach.

“[It is important to] be safe in all situations and have an awareness of surroundings,” junior Hannah Kahn said.

“We should be active, get out, and, if needed, fight rather than sit and do nothing,” senior Alex Mintz said.

The ALICE procedures have been adopted district-wide. However, at Bryden Elementary School, the “counter” part of ALICE was removed from procedures because that has the potential to scare younger students.

According to the ALICE Training Institute website, the approach can be modified as appropriate for each age group.

In the past two years, Beachwood staff have undergone two training sessions led by the Beachwood police department. Teachers were briefed on procedures and were exposed to simulated exercises enhanced with mock gunfire.

Klein sees these rigorous training procedure as necessary to fulfill his responsibility to keep the school safe.

“It is not something that I take lightly,” Klein said. “It is a responsibility that goes beyond the physical plan by knowing each and every kid in the school and knowing the warning signs.”

Klein believes the new ALICE procedures will enhance school security.

“We have a better chance of survival if we don’t act as victims and instead act proactively,” he said.

“Our previous protocol was too simplistic. Locking down was only one response to a crisis, and ALICE is a guideline to stay alive in a crisis,” Markwardt said.

Markwardt explained that under ALICE, procedures for notifying the student body has changed.

“The inform part has changed; we used to have codes, but now law enforcement has asked us to share as much as we can over the intercom,” he said.

Markwardt summed up the ALICE approach:

“Do whatever you need to do to avoid harm. Do whatever is needed to stay safe. The only thing that isn’t an option is to freeze.”