Lockdown: Newtown Shooting Prompts HSD Safety Measure Revamp

The Hazelwood School District (HSD) is considering adopting new procedures to train students how to handle an active shooter situation in January.

This comes less than a week after the Newtown school shootings in Connecticut.

HSD administration met with with area police departments on Tuesday to contemplate how to adopt a program called Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate (A.L.i.C.E.).

“This is a great opportunity to move forward by bringing the police, fire and school district officials together in an effort to provide a safe and secure environment for students, staff and community members," said Superintendent Grayling Tobias. "Safety is our highest priority, and we want to cooperate."

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Former SWAT officer Greg Crane of Texas developed the program. He said he believes the lockdown protocol many schools have in place in the event of an armed intruder, is not the best practice.

Crane also teaches students about becoming a harder target: including throwing items, moving about, creating confusion for the shooter.

The Hazelwood School District says it will consider all feedback from local police before deciding to implement such a program.

During the meeting police and fire officials reviewed site plans of schools and talked about improving the ability for fire and police officials to identify specific classrooms from the outside of the building.

Police and fire officials are may be present to share an update on the safety improvements at the HSD Board of Education meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on January 15 at administration building located at 15955 New Halls Ferry Rd.