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University of Toledo Hosts Open ALICE Training Sessions

Photo courtesy of the University of Toledo

UT students participate in an ALICE training session in order to learn how to protect themselves against an active shooter during any sort of life-threatening situation.

Jessica Harker, Associate News Editor

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The University of Toledo Police Department is hosting open sessions of alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate — or ALICE — training this October to help prepare people for active shooter situations on campus.

UTPD officers have given ALICE trainings at the University of Toledo since 2011, when they had only one instructor.

“ALICE has grown in popularity [at UT] and now UTPD has seven instructors to keep up with the increasing requests for ALICE presentations,” wrote Douglas Perry, a UTPD police officer and ALICE training instructor, in an email interview.

UTPD is also creating online modules for ALICE, said UTPD chief of police Jeff Newton. Newton said the idea behind this is to reach as many people as possible.

“The idea would be that we would try to reach all new employees and students with at least a video training session but continue to offer the presentations where we can kind of get a little bit more in-depth,” Newton said.

ALICE can also help trainees prepare mentally for active-shooter crises.

“When you have ALICE, it does provide you some options that you may have not considered before,” Newton said. “It may also provide you some confidence so even if you are faced with someone who has a firearm and is pointing it right at you, there is an opportunity for you to survive.”

ALICE is not specific for one type of building or situation, Newton said, but instead provides multiple avenues of action and different options that can be tailored to different situations.

Sarah Bitner, a fourth-year theater major, said she received the training as a requirement for becoming a resident adviser at UT.

“I believe it would be useful for the lobby and game areas,” Bitner said, “But on the residence floors where there aren’t usually many people out walking around it would be less effective, but still useful knowledge.”

Though Bitner took an ALICE course in the summer of 2013, she said she recalls the training and is able to use it if needed.

“I would recommend everyone take the training because of the peace of mind it brings,” Bitner said.

Perry said the next training course will be held on October 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center Oak Room.

“We’re looking at ways to expand the training and reach even more folks,” Newton said.

The sessions are available for anyone who wishes to attend and there will be one other open session before the end of October. ALICE training is also available upon request, Perry wrote.

To ask about taking an ALICE training course, email Douglas Perry at [email protected] Sessions last around 90 minutes.

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