HR0865 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


  

 


 
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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is a truly harrowing time in our society today;
3it is a period, unfortunately, marked by unconscionable
4violence that has pervaded into many of our communities and
5affected the lives of our most vulnerable: our children; the
6unthinkable tragedy that took place on February 14, 2018 in
7Parkland, Florida is just the latest episode in a heart-rending
8narrative that is becoming an entirely unacceptable new normal;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, The violence has become a quotidian phenomenon and
11one that is all too familiar; this violence that has taken
12place in recent years, months, and yet again reappeared last
13week in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, cannot continue
14to be left unchallenged; schoolchildren have become both
15exposed to these stories in the news and victims to these
16senseless acts that have claimed the lives of so many innocent
17youths and scarred the lives of many more; and
 
18    WHEREAS, It is a regretful reality to comprehend, but it is
19one that we have to face and one that necessarily forces us to
20do what we can to improve school security; while there is no
21one panacea to the wide-array of issues that have led to these
22atrocities, and various debates can be had between people of
23different ideologies, beliefs, and political affiliations on

 

 

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1the merits of each proposed solution, it is in the best
2interest of our children that we work together to ensure that
3everything is done to better prepare our schools to respond
4effectively in the event that such calamity were to occur in
5Illinois; and
 
6    WHEREAS, It is with this sentiment in mind that the
7Illinois General Assembly should encourage school districts
8and individual schools to explore and evaluate active shooter
9response training programs that will help reduce the loss of
10life; numerous schools here in Illinois and across the country
11have already taken appropriate steps or are in the process of
12developing such training strategies; and
 
13    WHEREAS, One such training program that has proven
14successful and has been implemented by some Illinois school
15districts is the Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate (ALICE)
16program; the ALICE training program has been developed through
17the ALICE Training Institute and was created by a law
18enforcement officer who set out to improve the limited,
19traditional protocol employed by most schools, i.e., (i) alert
20the school of the situation, (ii) have teachers get all
21students in a classroom and lock the door and shut the lights,
22and (iii) sit patiently in the corner of the room waiting for
23law enforcement officers to arrive; the ALICE training program,
24however, departs from this model and instead focuses on

 

 

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1option-based, proactive survival strategies that provide
2individuals trapped in an active shooter situation with diverse
3tools necessary to help save lives; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The system devised by the ALICE Training Institute
5focuses on being alert, knowing how to properly assess the
6situation, taking precautions when in lockdown, devising
7communication strategies that help effectively inform others
8of where the assailant is located in the building, using
9dynamic techniques that help mitigate the danger posed by the
10shooter, and, finally, explaining the best ways and times to
11evacuate the danger areas; the ALICE training model is
12supported by law enforcement and first responders nationwide as
13it helps bolster the protections and safety of the innocent
14throughout the ordeal, and especially during the time that it
15takes for law enforcement to respond to the call and take
16control of the situation - a period where every minute and
17second matters and astute action of victims can help maximize
18the safety of others; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The ALICE Training Institute has offered its
20services in all 50 states, trained over one million individuals
21(in both the public and private sectors), and is currently used
22in over 4,200 K-12 schools and nearly 1,000 higher education
23institutions; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Training programs like ALICE deserve to be
2evaluated and incorporated into our schools with urgent haste
3as we continue to adapt to the new threats of violence that
4everyday appear closer to home; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Collaboration between school and local law
6enforcement officials in the implementation of updated active
7shooter response training is vital to the protection of both
8students and staff in Illinois schools; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The interest in our children's future is of
10paramount importance and, therefore, the Illinois General
11Assembly should stand at the ready to explore all of the best
12practices necessary to ensure the safety of our children and
13look to promote the implementation of programs like ALICE that
14not only improve safety but help foster a more open
15communication line between parents, teachers, and school
16administrators; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In a time where polarization exists and seems to
18dominate the political sphere, this is an issue that neither
19invites nor seeks to create controversy; the well-being and
20protection of our children demands that we take quick action on
21this matter in hopes of preventing this unspeakable violence
22from claiming any more innocent lives; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3strongly encourage every school district in the State of
4Illinois and the heads of each school in this State, in
5collaboration with local law enforcement, to begin exploring
6and implementing the necessary modern response training
7programs and innovative procedures that are designed to help
8prevent the loss of life in the event of an on-campus
9emergency; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
11delivered to the Secretary of the Illinois State Board of
12Education, the Office of the Governor of Illinois, and the
13Illinois General Assembly so that any action necessary of the
14State may be extended to school districts across Illinois so
15that we may better protect the lives of teachers,
16administrators, and students.