The ALICE acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate, a safety training approach for responding to an armed intruder or active shooter. It was developed by a private training company and is now taught in many schools, colleges, hospitals, offices and places of worship across the United States.
ALICE is called an options based approach. Older plans often taught one response, staying locked in a room. ALICE instead gives people several choices and teaches them to pick the one that fits what they can see and hear. The letters are a memory aid, not a fixed order of steps.
Quick facts
Stands for
Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, EvacuateType
Acronym, said like the name AlicePurpose
Training for an armed intruder or active shooterUsed in
Schools, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, churchesKey idea
Options based, not a fixed sequenceRelated terms
Lockdown drill, Run Hide FightOther meaning
Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
What the ALICE acronym stands for, letter by letter
| Letter | Word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alert | Learn of the danger as fast as possible, through an alarm, an announcement or what you see and hear |
| L | Lockdown | If you cannot get out safely, secure the room: lock and barricade the door, turn off lights, stay quiet |
| I | Inform | Share clear, real time information about the intruder's location, by intercom, text or 911 calls |
| C | Counter | As a last resort, create noise, movement and distraction to make it harder for an attacker to aim |
| E | Evacuate | Leave the area when it is safe to do so, by any route, and get far away |
Training stresses that people should not wait for permission to evacuate if they have a safe way out, and that lockdown is a way to buy time, not the only choice.
Why ALICE is not a step by step list
A memory acronym like PASS for fire extinguishers gives steps in order. ALICE is different. A teacher who hears gunfire near an exit might evacuate right away. A worker in an office with one door might lock down, then inform police of what they hear. The letters remind people of the tools they have, and the situation decides which tool comes first.
This is the biggest change from older lockdown only drills, where everyone did the same thing no matter where the danger was.
How schools and workplaces use ALICE
- Drills: schools run practice sessions, often announced in advance and adjusted for students' ages.
- Room preparation: staff learn how to barricade a door with desks or tie off a door closer.
- Communication: buildings set up ways to share an intruder's location, so people can choose whether to stay or go.
- Reunification: plans cover where families will meet students after an evacuation.
Letter home from a school: "Next week our students will take part in an age appropriate ALICE drill. Younger grades will practice lockdown and evacuation only." This tells families what the drill covers and that the counter step is not part of it for young children.
The counter step is the part people discuss most. Some districts teach it only to adults and older students, while others leave it out of student training entirely. Each school decides how to adapt the program.
ALICE compared with Run, Hide, Fight
Federal guidance from the Department of Homeland Security uses a simpler three part message: Run, Hide, Fight. The ideas line up closely:
- Run matches Evacuate.
- Hide matches Lockdown.
- Fight matches Counter, also as a last resort.
ALICE adds two parts that are less visible in the shorter message: Alert, about learning of the danger early, and Inform, about passing on what you know. Many organizations teach one approach or the other, and some mention both.
Another meaning: ALICE households
Outside safety training, ALICE has a second, unrelated meaning in research on household budgets: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It describes working households that earn more than the federal poverty level but still struggle to cover basic costs like housing, child care, food and transportation. A national network of local charities created the term and publishes ALICE reports by state.
If you see ALICE in a news story about wages, rent or local budgets, it is this meaning. If it appears in a school safety letter or workplace training notice, it is the safety plan.
Saying ALICE and similar safety acronyms
Say it like the name, "AL-iss." Because people read it as a word, it fits the strict definition of an acronym. Capital letters, ALICE, keep readers from mistaking it for someone's name.
Safety training uses many short memory aids. RACE covers what to do when you find a fire, and BE FAST helps people spot a stroke. The memory acronyms hub collects more of them.
Questions people ask
What does ALICE stand for in school safety?
ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. It is a training approach that gives students and staff several ways to respond to an armed intruder.
Do you have to follow ALICE in order?
No. The letters are a memory aid, not a sequence. People are taught to choose the option that fits their situation, such as evacuating right away if there is a safe way out.
What is the counter part of ALICE?
Counter is a last resort meant to distract or disrupt an attacker, for example with noise, movement or thrown objects. Many schools adapt or leave out this part for young children.
Is ALICE the same as Run, Hide, Fight?
They are similar. Run, Hide, Fight is the shorter federal message, while ALICE adds steps for getting alerts and sharing information.
What does ALICE mean in income reports?
In that setting, ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It describes working households above the poverty line that still have trouble covering basic needs.