At the most recent Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Deputy Chief Mike Anders with the Naperville Police Department discussed why it is essential to prepare for an active threat, before one takes place.
“I don’t think threats will ever stop presenting themselves out in the world. Unfortunately we live in a time where people are apt to commit violence to other people and the big part about this is that it gives you, the potential victim, to take back some control and protect yourself, or loved ones or anyone that’s around you,” said Deputy Chief Anders. “So I think it’s always good to be prepared and not just hope nothing comes your way.”
At this meeting, Anders explained how using ALICE – or alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate – can save lives in the event of an active shooter.
Anders explains, “You have options available to you if an active threat presented itself. You can counter the person and fight with the person. You can hide or lock down from the person or you can evacuate and get away from the person as best as you possibly can. All those things are options that you can physically take action on: counter, lockdown, evacuate.”
Another key component is alerting the police and other emergency personnel by calling 9-1-1, something Anders says people must practice so it becomes an instinct.
“We do drills with individuals and we do drills with organizations, people get a sense of confidence and they get a sense of knowing what they would do and how they would do it if something bad happened,” said Anders.
The Naperville Police Department wants to partner with more local businesses, schools and groups to teach them these skills so everyone can be better prepared in case of an active threat.
All of these tactics come from the ALICE Training Institute, which has trained over 1,000,000 people in handling active shooter situations.
Naperville News 17’s Evan Summers reports.
