Fort Huachuca Dental Clinic Receives ALICE training

By Wendy ArevaloNovember 7, 2017

Fort Huachuca DENTAC undergoes ALICE Training
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Joshua Schultz, Spc. Donald Clinton, and Sgt. Angel Murrieta of the 18th Military Police Detachment, discuss their plan of action before starting an exercise during the ALICE training held at Fort Huachuca Dental Clinic Oct. 30. (U.S. Army... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Huachuca DENTAC undergoes ALICE training
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Huachuca DENTAC undergoes ALICE Training
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Fort Huachuca Dental Clinic took training out of the classroom when they participated in ALICE active shooter training Oct. 30 at the dental clinic.

ALICE, an acronym which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate, is a hands-on, engagement-style training which teaches proactive strategies to increase survivability during an active killer situation.

Military police personnel from the Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) guided dental clinic personnel through multiple scenarios involving a violent intruder during the four-hour training.

DES personnel used airsoft guns to make the training more realistic, and dental clinic personnel wore protective face masks.

Using airsoft guns adds to the realistic aspect of the training and prepares the personnel, according to Maj. William Owens, Fort Huachuca provost marshal.

"We are here to provide the best training possible to ensure the safety and security of our community at Fort Huachuca," Owens said.

Fort Huachuca Dental Clinic's Commander, Lt. Col. Eric Danko, said he wanted to hold the training to keep his personnel safe.

"If we're not prepared, then things are going to happen," Danko said. "You can never predict when anything is going to happen, but if you're prepared and you try to be proactive, then you're more likely to be able to respond in the event something does happen."

Lori Alfson, dental assistant, said she found the training very realistic.

"It [the training] makes you feel more confident that you can survive an attack," Alfson said.

Alejandra De La Cruz, who also works as a dental assistant, said she found the training very informative.

"It gives you a feeling of fear and of confusion when something like this happens that you're not prepared for," De La Cruz said. "After the training, I felt a little more prepared, although I don't think you can ever be fully prepared."