UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital in Sioux City, Iowa, have trained staff to became certified ALICE training instructors to teach hospital staff and St. Luke's College students strategies they can use when a violent intruder or active shooter enters the hospital, according to an article on the Sioux City Journal website.
ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.
When fleeing isn't an option, ALICE strategies include rushing the shooter from both sides and tackling him as a group or throwing objects at the assailant.
St. Luke's uses the phrase "active shooter" or "someone with a weapon" over the intercom system instead of calling a color code. In the past, "code silver" was a popular way to warn of an active shooter, but the Department of Homeland Security has since advised against it, urging hospitals to use plain language.
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