• ASD Office of Emergency Management to implement new crisis response training through 'I Love U Guys Foundation'

     

    Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM) to begin in the 2025-26 school year

    • ASD Families,

      We want to share an important update about how we approach school safety across the Anchorage School District. 

      Since the 2016–17 school year, ASD has used the ALICE program as part of our emergency response training. At the time, it was one of the leading options available to help schools prepare for serious situations like an active shooter. While ALICE provided some valuable training, not all parts of the program aligned well with the needs and values of our school communities. As the program evolved and was later acquired by a new company, it also became significantly more expensive. After careful review, and as part of our planning for the 2025–26 school year, we made the decision to phase out the ALICE program. 

      In its place, we’re excited to introduce new safety protocols for the 2025–26 school year from a nonprofit organization called The “I Love U Guys” Foundation. You may have heard of them—their name comes from the last text a young student sent to her parents during a school tragedy, and the foundation was created in her memory. They’ve been doing this work since 2005 and currently support over 50,000 schools and organizations across the world. 

      The two programs we’re implementing are the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and the Standard Reunification Method (SRM). Together, these offer a clear, easy-to-follow plan for handling a wide range of emergencies—from natural disasters to security threats—and for safely reuniting students with families afterward. Unlike ALICE, these programs are available to schools for free (we just cover the travel expenses for instructors). 

      We’ll begin rolling out the new protocols in all schools starting in the 2025–26 school year. More information and resources will be shared as we get closer to implementation. Please know that student and staff safety remain at the heart of every decision we make. We’re excited about this next step forward and appreciate your ongoing support and trust.

      -Team ASD