Police, parents discuss ALICE training in Perryville schools

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Several attendees at an informational meeting on the Perry County School District adding ALICE to its emergency operation plan Monday said they thought the gathering was useful.

About 75 people attended the event in the Perryville High School gym, which included presentations from Perry County sheriff's deputy Matt Schamburg, Perryville police Sgt. Garrett Schott and Perry County School District 32 communications director Kate Martin.

Those interviewed also endorsed the idea of students undergoing age-appropriate ALICE training early next year. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate and is meant to be more proactive than the lockdown procedures used before. It employs everything from alerting those in the building of an intruder to countering an intruder with whatever is at hand and evacuating, if possible.

The addition of ALICE follows a revision to the school district's emergency operation plan adopted last summer that puts it more in line with city and county plans and establishes an incident command system, Schamburg said.

He said previously that it offers teachers more options and gets as much information to staff members as possible so they can make a decision on how to best react to the situation.

Cindy Litterst, who has a third-grader in school, said it's important for students to understand that incidents can happen and know what to do.

Stephanie Jackson, a parent and volunteer who has a son in first grade, said she wants to undergo ALICE training. "That way, if I'm here, I can help the situation," and know what to do and not to panic, she said.

Having students undergo ALICE training, she said, also is a plus. "I think all the kids need to know what to do in a situation like that. As long as they're trained, they will know what to do, but if not ... they could just be running around like crazy and get hurt," Jackson said.

She added the thought of having something happen at the schools here "scares me to death," but Perryville is "such a safe town.

"I know a lot of people here who feel the same way. I've had chances to leave Perryville, but I won't leave because of the schools. They're extremely safe and I don't want my kids going anywhere else," Jackson said. She noted that knowing teachers have received ALICE training helps her stay calm.

Eugenia Huffman said she's always interested in her son's safety and that of other children. She attended the meeting to see what the district was doing to keep students safe and was impressed with the progress made over the last year.

But she has mixed feelings about students receiving ALICE training.

"I do believe that children should be able to defend themselves," feel like they're more in control and know what to do, if a situation arose, Huffman said. However, her concern is that there could be students who would try to be heroes.

Bill Martens, whose granddaughter is a Perryville student, said he's been concerned about school safety for some time and noted the world is a different place from when he went to school.

Martens said he'd like to see the district purchase mobile panic alarm buttons such as St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson did recently. The alarms, worn on lanyards around the necks of school employees, transmit an extended wireless signal that reaches across the campus, as well as several blocks from school -- indoors and out, a news release said.

He said he doesn't know much about ALICE yet, but he's happy to see the police, sheriff's department and school district start to hone in on the issue of school safety. "I think it was lax before, but a lot of school districts have been lax before," Martens said. "It's a different world we're in now ... than years ago."

Schamburg said there are buzzers at the early childhood center and elementary school, but to get them upgraded and installed across campus would cost about $50,000.

Communications director Kate Martin urged parents to update their cellphone, home number and email information with the school so if something happens, they can get information immediately.

If there is a crisis, Martin said, parents should keep their phone lines open. Parents can also view the district's website, www.perryville.k12.mo.us, it's Facebook page, facebook.com/District32 and Twitter account, @pcsd32.

Parents should not repeat what their children tell them on Facebook or text it out, Martin said.

She also advised parents not to call campus if it's under lockdown, but leave their phone lines open and wait for district officials to call.

In the event of an emergency situation, Schamburg said, parents will be reunited with their children at Perry Park Center. Parents, guardians and emergency contacts must have their identification.

"We can never fully predict or prepare. Like I said, we just have to go with the information we have on that day and try to keep" teachers and staff updated, Schamburg said.

He added that law enforcement in Perryville has a short response time, officials will do their best to get as many officers on scene as fast as possible.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

1696 Perryville Road, Perryville, MO.