BLANCHESTER — Ptl. Kristen Jeffers of the Blanchester Police Department provided instruction to the staff of the Blanchester American Showa plant this week on the subject of workplace violence. Specifically, she presented the ALICE response to active workplace shooters.
The ALICE response teaches that “lockdown”, or hiding in place, is an ineffective way to survive such an ordeal, and that doing so makes the victim an easy target for the shooter.
The ALICE concept teaches employees to interrupt the shooter’s advance by any means necessary and to try to evacuate the plant. By interrupting the shooter and evacuating, the intended victim greatly increases his chances of survival when compared with hiding behind a locked door in a dark room.
In 2016 the police department sent Ptl. Jeffers to Middletown where she attended a multi-day class presented by the ALICE Training Institute which resulted in her certification as an ALICE instructor.
The training presented at American Showa was done at the request of their management, and involved training sessions for employees on all three shifts.
American Showa is a multi-national company which manufactures automotive components and is one of the largest employers in the Village of Blanchester.
Earlier this year Ptl. Jeffers also provided ALICE training to staff members at Blanchester High School without cost to the board of education.
