Mount Vernon City Schools will conduct the first of two ALICE active intruder training drills in the coming weeks, the district announced in a letter to parents. The drills, which depend on weather conditions, are part of the district’s ongoing efforts to enhance school safety.
The ALICE system has been a core component of Mount Vernon’s school safety strategy for the previous years. District officials said the fall drills are designed to ensure that students and staff are well-prepared to respond effectively in the unlikely event of an active threat on campus.
The drills will incorporate all five components of the ALICE protocol: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate.
To initiate the lockdown, a siren will sound, followed by clear instructions to guide participants. During the Lockdown phase, students and staff will practice securing classrooms and constructing protective barriers. The Inform component will involve real-time updates about a mock intruder’s description and location, delivered through video surveillance and the public address system. In the Counter phase, staff will review defensive strategies designed to distract or disorient a potential intruder if necessary. Finally, weather permitting, the Evacuate phase will allow students to rehearse moving to designated rally points near school buildings.
At the elementary level, schools will make an announcement before each drill begins. Middle and high school campuses, however, will not receive advance notice in order to create a more realistic training environment. Once the lockdown scenario is initiated, administrators will promptly inform everyone that the exercise is a drill.
A follow-up ALICE drill is planned for the spring semester. The district will prioritize age-appropriate practices throughout the exercise.
"Student training will always be done with the students’ levels of comprehension and maturity in mind," the letter reads.
For more information, call (740) 397-7422 or email bseder@mvcsd.us.
