Lake Barrington board advised on how to handle a threat during a meeting
Lake Barrington village board members Tuesday night received a condensed version of active shooter training that authorities say can be used in any threatening situation possibly arising during a meeting.
Lake County sheriff's Deputy Francis Foy gave the presentation for ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. ALICE was designed to improve the odds of survival in a potential mass shooting.
Foy told the officials that a standard police response takes five to six minutes, so knowing ways to increase survival chances is important.
"The whole goal here is having options as opposed to just waiting for us to show up," Foy told the village board. "We appreciate the trust you put in us. We really do."
Foy said a distraction such as throwing a chair or another object at a shooter or using duct tape on door hinges to help barricade a room are a couple of ways people can help themselves before police arrive.
Village President Kevin Richardson said he would like the sheriff's office to return with the full version of the active shooter training on a day all of Lake Barrington's boards and committees can be present.
The sheriff's office is contracted to handle Lake Barrington's policing.
"Most of the focus has been with school districts," Richardson said, "where it's most importantly understood. So, we just wanted to be smart because we wanted to be prepared."
Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Covelli said while schools are prioritized for active shooter training, it also is a good idea for other entities such as houses of worship and local governments.
He added that the ALICE program is valuable even for knowing how to best react in any threatening situation, not just a shooting.
In May, a longtime city employee opened fire at a municipal headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia, killing 12 people.
Some Illinois governments have tightened security since the Virginia Beach municipal killings. For example, downstate Carbondale last month began requiring anyone entering the city council chambers to pass through a metal detector.