A.L.I.C.E. SAFETY PROGRAM
The safety of the district’s students is our highest priority. The district has implemented the A.L.I.C.E program to help keep our students and staff safer in an intruder incident. A. L. I. C. E.: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.
Staff and students are trained to:
- Report a strange activity.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Escape and/or evacuate.
- Use whatever is at your disposal to stay safe.
Currently, schools use a simple lockdown drill keeping the students and staff locked in a classroom away from the doors and windows.
A. L. I. C. E. training adds some options to the situation. One option is to barricade the classroom door making it harder for the intruder to enter. Another option is for evacuation if the intruder has gone to a different part of the building. The key is to be assertive during the time of an intruder.
Although the district hopes we never have to use this we honestly can’t say "it won’t happen here". It is important that staff and students are trained in the latest procedures for being safe if the district or schools are faced with an intruder.
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
SAFER SCHOOLS TIP LINE
West Muskingum Schools uses the Safer Schools Ohio anonymous tip line for students and families to share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety -- whether that involves a threat of a mass incident or harm to a single student. To report a concern, call or text 1-844-SAFEROH (1-844-723-3764).
The system will send your anonymous report to the appropriate people to address the concern. The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is a free safety resource available to all Ohio schools. The tip line is an anonymous reporting system that accepts both calls and texts 24 hours a day.
This tip line allows students and adults to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety—whether that involves a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student. Things to report to the tip line include (but are not limited to):
- Bullying incidents;
- Withdrawn student behaviors;
- Verbal or written threats observed toward students, faculty or schools;
- Weapon/suspicious devices on or near school grounds;
- Gang-related activities;
- Unusual/suspicious behavior of students or staff;
- Self-harm or suicidal sentiments; and
- Any other school safety-related concerns.
Every tip can remain anonymous. School safety analysts may ask for additional information, but the caller can remain secret or leave his or her contact information for later follow-up.
Calls or texts to 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) are answered by analysts within Ohio Homeland Security. If action is needed, the analysts immediately forward information to local school officials, law enforcement agencies, and the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) for action and follow-up. The OSSC partners with the Ohio Department of Education to follow up with affected schools and law enforcement agencies to make sure that the incident is investigated, action is taken and resources and supports are provided when necessary.
SCHOOL SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT
Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 4749.10, this announcement from the West Muskingum Local School District should be considered notification to the public that there are armed staff members in the district's buildings.