OPINION: Active Shooter Drills & ALICE Training Needed For Framingham High Students

My name is Olivia Finlay, and I am a currently a senior at Framingham High School

I come here today to voice students’ disappointment with the failed promise to receive training, after the false active shooter alarm.

It’s been a couple of months since this incident occurred, and we still have no confirmation when we will receive Alice’s training. Because to be honest with you, I can’t ever recall having a practice drill in all my four years at Framingham High. This is why it is so important to have training.

Seeing my teacher’s face pale, as she screamed at us to get away from the windows, to then being under a table, all I could think was, “I’m going to die; I wanna go home”. We were pushing and shoving each other down the stairs to get out. I was practically walking on the limbs of my classmates. Running all the way home the only thing I could hear was police sirens. I still can’t sleep well at night due to these events.

Home is a place where I know I’m the safest, where I won’t get shot up. School is supposed to be a safe place where we all feel safe. But while I was frantically making phone calls. Only to then  realize it could be the reason my friends died.

During the swatting incident. I was in the band room during lunch. With the band room being right next to the cafe, all we could hear were people screaming while running down the halls. Teachers screaming for students to get out. We were all just waiting for the alarm to go off. To hear the first round of gunshots. I’m more scared that when I go to college, my old high school will get shot up, rather than how can I successfully navigate a double or triple major.

I come here to voice some of my suggestions to start a conversation about what we need to do as a city. Other than getting some Alice training, it is important to increase security not only at the high school but the other schools in Framingham. We need to think about also changing out some of the glass in the buildings so that it is suited to withhold gunshots. I know there is a cost associated with it, but it would be worth it if we can save lives.

My second suggestion is to have activate shooter drills at the schools. This would help our police be more successful, while navigating where the shooter could be.

For all of these suggestions, I know you don’t want to cause more trauma. But how can receiving training be more traumatic than thinking I could gonna die. I think that everyone can be happy if this training is optional. Students or parents could opt out if they do not want to relive any trauma. At the end of the day, every second counts. So we need to make the most out of those few seconds.

In closing, I hope we start to consider talking about these sensitive moments because in reality. This is becoming everyday life throughout our schools and colleges. We can’t change the way things are going, but we can put in measures for the safety of our schools.

Thank you

Editor’s Note: Olivia read her remarks at the Framingham School Committee meeting on Wednesday, April 25, and submitted them to SOURCE for publication.