School is no longer the safe place we have always known.

Since 2013, there have been 142 school shootings in the US, 45 of them high schools. Active shooter situations can happen at any time, without warning. No school is immune to such a tragedy.

Because of the prevalence of violence in schools across the country, it is extremely important that we prepare students and teachers in the event that a shooter enters Westford Academy.

Since Sandy Hook, many school systems, including WA, have implemented ALICE training throughout the school year. According to the ALICE training website, ALICE stands for Alert, Lock-down, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. The program teaches students and faculty what to do in the event of a shooter situation.

When WA completed the first ALICE training two years ago, it made me feel relieved that we have a plan in case the same tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook happens at WA. The experience made the concept feel real by simulating a shooter and instructing students and faculty how to be safe in case a shooting situation occurs. 

This training helps students feel safer in the school because they learn how to protect themselves. In the past, students were taught to hide under their desks. Now, students can defend themselves with the new ALICE training.

ALICE training is important for students to feel safe and have a plan. Such training should be practiced as often as possible and it should always be at the back of students minds. This situation could happen at anytime, so it is essential to be prepared.

It shouldn’t take a tragedy like Sandy Hook or the more recent Oregon Community College shooting to cause these drills to occur. It is important that we are educated often about what to do in a shooter situation, so that it becomes second nature.

Under Massachusetts state law, there must be a minimum of four fire drills during the school year, with the first drill occurring within the first three days of school. There are about 4,000 school fires per year in the US, but these incidents rarely cause fatalities. Since 1980, 297 people have been killed in school shootings. Though it is important to know what to do in case of a fire by practicing fire drills, it is just as important to practice what to do if a shooter entered the building.

When a student hears the fire alarms go off during school, it is like second nature to them and they know exactly what to do. The same should occur during an ALICE drill. These drills should be practiced more often than every two years. Instead, the school should hold them almost as frequent as fire drills.

With the rise of school shootings across the country, it is essential to practice a plan of action because a school shooting could happen at any time to any school, including WA.