New school emergency plan gives teachers more control | News

PERRYSBURG, OH (Toledo News Now) - Perrysburg Public Schools trained more than 500 employees on a new emergency procedure known as A.L.I.C.E. on Wednesday.

A.L.I.C.E. stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate.  District leaders say the plan puts more power and discretion in the hands of teachers in the event of an emergency situation.

“It's really about empowering staff, giving them the knowledge and permission they need to survive, and to be as creative as possible,” said Superintendent Tom Hosler.

Hosler says the district had been working to implement the new plan for some time, but the school shooting that left 20 students and 6 school staff members dead in Newtown, Connecticut reinforced the importance of the program.

“Certainly what happened in December created a sense of urgency to get started and to get started in the right way,” said Hosler.

Parents agree that putting power in the hands of teachers is the best way to keep kids safe in the event of an emergency.

“We need to put trust in our teachers,” said parent Shannon Benge. “We do everyday anyways; having our kids there, so for them to make a safe judgment call when situations arise I totally support.”

The district says the next step is to evaluate the specific safety needs of each building and conduct emergency drills at each school.

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