If somebody told you that a can of peas or a Harry Potter book could save your child's life in the event of a shooting, you'd probably laugh in his face. However, that's exactly what W.F. Burns Middle School believes could happen. The Valley, AL, public school sent home letters to parents requesting that every child come "armed" with an eight-ounce canned food item, which would "give the students a sense of empowerment to protect themselves and will make them feel secure in case an intruder enters their classroom." While a few 12-year-olds fighting off an armed gunman with canned peaches may seem absurd, the practice is encouraged in a new type of active shooter response training dubbed ALICE.
Representing the words alert, lockdown, inform, counter, and escape, the ALICE response training is being taught in school systems nationwide. The basic rundown of each step is this:
W.F. Burns Middle School administrators have emphasized that they don't believe the need will ever arise for their students to use their "weapons," but that they are simply preparing for the worst. At the end of the school year, the canned food items will be donated to a local food bank, creating a charitable cause from disaster preparedness.
So, what do you think about this emergency preparedness tactic? Would you send your child to school with a can of food?