Teachers in some Winnipeg schools are learning new ways to react in the case of a school shooting after the city's police service recommended improvements in lockdown procedures.
The traditional response sees teachers and students lock the door, turn off the lights and hide in a corner or under their desks and stay put until police arrive.
However, Winnipeg school safety officer Const. Vern Novalkowski said more options need to be considered to lower the risk of being injured or killed.
Winnipeg officers have been trained in a U.S. strategy known as ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.
Its purpose is to have a communication system in place to make sure teachers and students know a shooter has entered the school, so they can react as soon as possible.
After locking the door of the room, the group barricades it with furniture and if it is safe to exit the school, teachers and students should do so.
"It's about giving them the safest options and letting them make those decisions in that time of crisis," Novalkowski said.
All six Winnipeg school divisions have lock-down strategies in place. Some are incorporating elements of ALICE, but others are sticking with an RCMP protocol to secure the room and hide.
Most are shying away from one of the more controversial aspects — using countering measures against the shooter, from throwing objects to cause a distraction and to even tackling the suspect.
"Having people trained to counter an assailant would be difficult," said Chris Broughton, vice-chairman of the Winnipeg School Division.
Teachers have reservations as well, such as concerns over liability and student safety.
"If a teacher initiates a counter measure as taught by ALICE and a child is harmed as a result of it, it would be difficult to obviously live with," said Norman Gould, president of the Manitoba Teachers Society.
Even the RCMP recommends against countering.
Novalkowski said countering tactics could include techniques like making noise to distract the suspect, and putting distance between yourself and the shooter.
"This is your last resort option, that is if somebody comes in to this room right now and starts attacking people," Novalkowski added.
(CTV Winnipeg)
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