Workshop helps businesses prepare for the unthinkable

(Above) Clear Lake Police Officer Zach Hall facilitated an ALICE training for members of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.-Reporter photo.

Clear Lake business leaders received an introduction to training they never hope they need.

“Someone enters your workplace with a weapon and starts firing.  A horrible thought,” the Chamber of Commerce stated in its invitation for members to attend Friday’s ALICE training.    

ALICE stands for Alert, Location, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.  According to Clear Lake Police Officer Zach Hall, who led the training for about 35 people, ALICE is a proven technique that prepares staff for an unthinkable act.

“ALICE teaches what to do,” Hall told the group.  He shared statistics showing that those who sat passively as an armed intruder approached were almost always killed.  Those who had time to react and could barricade themselves improved their chances of survival, while those who fled increased their odds of survival the most,

“You have a choice to be proactive, or just sit there,” said Hall.  “Ninety-seven percent of workplace violence is non-fatal, but you have to be ready to respond.”

The need for ALICE training has been on the rise as attacks against schools, courthouses and places of business have grown over the past decade.

While the majority of media attention given to active shooter events involve school shootings, Hall said 76 percent of active shooter events do not happen at a school.  Most active shooters are a single male

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with a weapon.  They are rarely taken into custody.  Instead, they shoot themselves before capture.

Hall advised businesses to be aware of warning signs their employees may be exhibiting, including increased alcohol or drug use, stresses at home, money problems, unsafe behaviors or a decrease in productivity.  Those behaviors may escalate into bouts of anger, a negative disposition and talk of conflicts.  Threats, conflicts, a lack of respect for authority, domestic violence and rage are the highest level of warning signs, he said, calling them “red flags.”

Common triggers of an armed intruder include a change in work status, a dispute, downsizing, financial or health problems.

Hall urged those attending the workshop to create a plan for their employees to be proactive in an emergency situation.  Key among the advice was to have a system of communication in place to alert employees of a dangerous situation and identify where the shooter is located.  That way employees will be able to make a decision to flee the building, or lock themselves in and hide.  Camera systems, walkie talkies and intercom systems can all broadcast the movements of a shooter and help those in the building make educated decisions.

Whoever is able to call 9-1-1 should also be able to clearly state where the shooter is in the building, helping those responding to the scene to take the most appropriate action.

“Drills are important,” Hall said.  “Like fire drills have helped students be able to safely exit a burning school building, emergency drills can teach people how to react and be safe.

Clear Lake Police Chief Pete Roth joined Hall in encouraging businesses to discuss ALICE training tips with their employees and develop a plan.

“Know your building.  Know your directions.  Trust your instincts to prevent something from happening.  Talk about your concerns and see if they are legitimate,” advised Roth.  “Don’t just be Iowa nice.”

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