Workshop helps businesses prepare for the unthinkable

(Above) John Jaszewski, from KCMR in Mason City, meets with CLHS students to record their original radio dramas.  The students’ projects will air on FM 97.7 beginning Tuesday, March 8.-Submitted 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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Richtsmeier.  “They were not just preparing a report, they were writing a play.  They had to think about people and incorporate personal life experiences into their story.”

Students used the internet and books on the Civil War to learn about details ranging from the types of weapons used, to medicine and even slang used at the time.  They also incorporated music and sound effects to help transport the listener to the story setting.

“The kids were eager to ask questions and wanted our input as they worked,” added Raymond.  “It was an interesting process to see a group take input and advice and add in the history.”

The project has even created a few new fans to the relatively lost art of radio drama.  Students have continued to visit the National Archives on-line to listen to suspense stories, according to the teachers.

That’s the outcome Jaszewski was hoping for.  The goal of the radio drama partnership with schools was to draw young listeners to the radio station.

“The students responded well to John and seemed to like the challenge of this project.  I think the value beyond school was immense,” said Richtsmeier.  “This would be a project we’d like to continue.”

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