THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is urging Metro Manila residents, particularly students, teachers, and school personnel, to familiarize themselves with “ALICE,” a set of tactical response options designed to save lives during active shooter threats and other violent emergencies.
NCRPO Officer-in-Charge Police Brigadier General Christopher N. Abrahano emphasized that preparedness and presence of mind are essential when responding to immediate danger, noting that individuals must continuously assess their surroundings rather than rely on rigid, step-by-step procedures.
“During an emergency, every second matters,” Abrahano said. “We want our students, teachers, school personnel, and the entire Metro Manila community to remember ALICE—not as a rigid sequence, but as a set of options that can help them respond quickly and appropriately when faced with danger.”
The acronym ALICE represents five flexible response strategies:
- Alert: Recognize initial signs of danger and clearly communicate the threat to others immediately.
- Lockdown: If escaping is unsafe, fortify doors, barricade entry points, and create physical distance to buy time for responding authorities.
- Inform: Provide accurate, real-time updates regarding the attacker’s location and movements to emergency operators via the Unified 911 Emergency Hotline.
- Counter: Used strictly as a last resort when harm is immediate and unavoidable, individuals can create noise, movement, or visual distractions using nearby objects to disrupt an attacker’s focus.
- Evacuate: Whenever a safe path exists, move quickly away from the danger zone toward a secure location.
The NCRPO encouraged educational institutions, workplaces, and public venues to integrate these response options into their regular safety programs, alongside mapping evacuation routes and refining emergency communication protocols.
“Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility,” Abrahano added. “Let us equip ourselves with the knowledge to protect our children, our teachers, our families, and our communities. Remember ALICE, stay alert and, when danger strikes, choose the safest action available.”
