To communicate has always seemed to be a fundamental quality of the human experience. Complex language was once thought to be uniquely gifted to one species. New studies have revealed that from crows to whales, language was a part of nature’s richness before we arrived.
Even if primeval, we know that events are often marked by what we didn’t say, what we should have said – the feelings we may not have fully communicated. This third President’s column on A.L.I.C.E will elaborate on that.
ALICE is an acronym to help you do everything you can do to save yourself and others in the event you are in a situation of violence. In past articles, I explained the “A” representing to be Alert and the “L” for the word Lockdown. The “I” is to help remind us to Inform or communicate with others.
As I pen this column, I’m participating once again on RAGBRAI. This idea to call out where you are clearly, in common phrases, can certainly be a life saver.
Should you be in an actual threatening situation, such as an active shooter, and after you can lock yourself down, it is important to observe the facts you know and inform others. It can be in the form of your voice, a phone call to 911, or a text. But know that what you observe is valuable information to others.
ALICE training reinforces that real time information is the most crucial, such as the intruder’s location. Of course, it goes without saying that one should only attempt this if you are not in jeopardy. All this may seem rather basic as we naturally communicate. But in an emergency, with adrenaline pumping, it may take effort to just breath. So to keep a calm head and think how you can help and inform others may take considerable energy and concentration.
These columns on ALICE are meant to inform rather than scare our community. I believe the more we become educated we take agency, which empowers us rather than feeling like a potential victim.
Robert Becker
Temple Judah President