Staples, Minn.,
06
July
2017
|
07:00 AM
Europe/Amsterdam

Violent Intruder Response Trainings Coming to Region 5

STAPLES, Minn. (6 July 2017) -- The threat of an active shooter attack is rare but very real. As society continues to find the proper balance of safety and freedoms, it's important to prepare for unforeseeable and threatening events, be it a fire, tornado, or an intruder.

Region 5 law enforcement and educators, as well as worship, hospital, and workplace administrators and safety professionals are encouraged to attend upcoming violent intruder response trainings conducted by ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate) Training Institute.

The two-day Instructor Certification Trainings will be hosted by WalkerHackensack-Akeley (July 25-26) and Verndale Public School (August 1-2). Participants will be in session 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The research-based organization is changing the way we talk about, think about, prepare, and respond to intruder situations. Its goal is to provide individuals with survival-enhancing options for those critical moments in the gap between when a violent situation begins and when law enforcement arrives on scene. ALICE is in line with recommendations from the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

ALICE Training Institute conducted a four-hour session for National Joint Powers Alliance® (NJPA) staff in January 2017. The engaging and interactive session covered the history and dangers of the traditional “lockdown only” approach. It also introduced ALICE response skills and tactics such as barricading a room, strategies for evacuating through windows and from higher floors, creating noise/movement as a distraction, putting distance between oneself and an intruder, and how and when to communicate with police.

Following the training, NJPA began revising its intruder response plans, and with the help of the Staples Police Department, conducted a violent intruder drill in March.

“I cannot say enough good things about this training,” said Paul Drange, NJPA director of regional programs. "ALICE's approach is different. They use research and case studies to back up what they're teaching, and draw participants into the conversation and action happening at the front of the room.

“Nobody likes to focus on this topic, but the reality is our schools, hospitals, and businesses must be prepared with up-todate policies and procedures - and we as individuals must consider our actions in dangerous situations - so we can respond in the most effective manner possible.”

The trainings at WHA and Verndale will dive deep into policy and procedures review, infrastructure design, proactive use of technology, community resource assistance, mass evacuation tactics and planning, trauma first aid, practical scenario training, and lesson preparation.

For more information, and to register, visit www.njpacoop.org/R5PD, or call 330-661-0106. Cost is $595/person. Region 5 members will receive a $300 discount with code: NJPA.

About NJPA

Sourcewell (formerly National Joint Powers Alliance) is a self-supporting government organization, partnering with education, government, and nonprofits to boost student and community success. Created in 1978 as one of Minnesota's nine service cooperatives, we offer training and shared services to our central-Minnesota members. Throughout North America, we offer a cooperative purchasing program with over 200 awarded vendors on contract. Sourcewell is driven by service and the ability to strategically reinvest in member communities.