ALICE Alert Protocols 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In ALICE training, what is the purpose of providing ongoing narrative updates after the initial alert?
- To comply with federal documentation requirements
- To keep occupants informed so they can continuously reassess their response options (Correct answer)
- To give administrators time to reach their offices
- To provide a script for law enforcement upon arrival
Correct answer: To keep occupants informed so they can continuously reassess their response options
Ongoing updates empower individuals to make real-time decisions as the situation evolves rather than acting on outdated information.
Question 2: A visitor at a school hears an ALICE alert. According to ALICE principles, the visitor should:
- Go to the front office to check in as required by policy
- Follow the same response options available to anyone: evacuate, lockdown, or counter (Correct answer)
- Wait outside for law enforcement to arrive
- Defer all decisions to the nearest staff member
Correct answer: Follow the same response options available to anyone: evacuate, lockdown, or counter
ALICE response options apply to everyone in the building, including visitors, who should act based on their circumstances and the information provided.
Question 3: Which type of alert message best aligns with ALICE guidelines?
- 'Code Blue — all staff report to stations'
- 'There is an active shooter near the gymnasium, east hallway, moving north' (Correct answer)
- 'Attention, this is not a drill, please remain calm'
- 'Emergency personnel are responding, stay in place for further instructions'
Correct answer: 'There is an active shooter near the gymnasium, east hallway, moving north'
ALICE recommends specific, plain-language descriptions of the threat location and movement to enable informed decision-making.
Question 4: Why does ALICE discourage using a single designated 'safe room' as the universal alert response?
- Safe rooms are too expensive to maintain
- A single safe room can become a trap if the threat moves to that location (Correct answer)
- OSHA regulations prohibit safe room designations
- Safe rooms reduce insurance liability
Correct answer: A single safe room can become a trap if the threat moves to that location
Directing everyone to one location concentrates potential victims and can create a high-casualty target if the threat reaches that area.
Question 5: An ALICE alert mentions the threat is on the second floor. A person on the ground floor near an exit should PRIMARILY consider:
- Immediately going to the second floor to assist
- Evacuating through the nearby exit since the threat is distant (Correct answer)
- Locking down in place regardless of proximity to exits
- Waiting for a second alert before acting
Correct answer: Evacuating through the nearby exit since the threat is distant
When the threat is distant and an exit is nearby, evacuation is typically the safest ALICE response option for that individual.
Question 6: What is a key difference between ALICE alert protocols and traditional 'lockdown only' drills?
- ALICE alerts are only used in college settings
- ALICE provides specific threat information to empower individual decision-making (Correct answer)
- Traditional drills use more technology
- ALICE alerts are only activated by law enforcement
Correct answer: ALICE provides specific threat information to empower individual decision-making
Traditional lockdown drills give a single directive, while ALICE alerts provide real-time information so occupants can choose the best option for their situation.
Question 7: When should an ALICE alert be canceled or given an 'all-clear'?
- Immediately after law enforcement arrives on scene
- After law enforcement has secured the scene and confirmed the threat has been neutralized (Correct answer)
- When 30 minutes have passed since the initial alert
- When the building principal decides the threat has passed
Correct answer: After law enforcement has secured the scene and confirmed the threat has been neutralized
Only law enforcement can confirm a scene is secure; the all-clear should come after their official announcement that the threat is neutralized.
ALICE Alert Protocols 3
In ALICE training, what is the purpose of providing ongoing narrative updates after the initial alert?