While schools may no longer use coded announcements like “Code Red,” “Hard Lockdown,” or “Mr. Brown is in the building” to signal active shooter incidents, it remains essential that they issue clear, plain-language announcements that support a multi-option response to active threats. I would even go so far as to say that the widespread use of the word “lockdown” in announcements is limiting and makes us more vulnerable to threats.
The Department of Homeland Security defines plain language (or plain writing) as communication that an audience can understand the first time it is read or heard, a definition intended to eliminate coded announcements. There are four key elements to this guidance:
- Common terminology: Everyone should interpret the announcement the same way.
- No codes or color systems: No “Code Silver” or “10-34”.
- Clear statement of the hazard: “There is an active shooter in the science building.”
- Direct, actionable instructions: The public (students, staff, and visitors) must know exactly what to do. This is defined as a habitual response and must be properly trained.
It is important to realize that different terminology is used in active shooter response training. Simply saying that there is an “Active Shooter” and to “Run-Hide-Fight, or ALICE training, or Avoid-Deny-Defend” in a verbal or text announcement is not sufficient and is the same as saying “Code Red.” The “where” (clear hazard statement) information announced allows for the choice of different survival options based on group or individual circumstance, not a rote response of a certain order of steps that may or may not keep you safe.
It also bears mentioning that almost all announcements about this incident occur after it has already started in the real world. Given that many times, due to stress or circumstance, verbal off-the-cuff alerts are insufficient or confusing, the use of digital alerts is recommended. This can be a prepared “canned” alert notification sent via speaker systems, via email, electronic bulletin boards, and text messages, with minimal input for a location or description.
Run-Hide-Fight (RHF), ALICE (Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate) Training, and Avoid-Deny-Defend (ADD) all, on a basic level, teach the same tactical responses. So, while the program’s name may differ, people who are properly trained in one of the models will automatically be able to listen to an announcement and know what to do, based on their prior training. What follows are three separate announcements, based on each program’s training, that issue direct, actionable instructions that are similar and easily understood. All of these use common terminology, even though the program names differ.
Run, Hide, Fight
“Attention, everyone: There is an active shooter in the science building. If you can safely escape the area, run immediately and move far away from the building to rally points. If you cannot evacuate, hide in a secure place—lock or barricade the door, turn off lights, silence your phone, and remain completely quiet and out of sight. If the attacker enters your space and your life is in immediate danger, be prepared to fight using any means necessary to protect yourself. This is not a drill. Take action now and follow law enforcement instructions as they arrive.”
ALICE Training
“Attention, everyone: There is an active shooter in the science building. Alert those around you now. If you cannot safely evacuate, move into a lockdown—lock or barricade the door, turn off the lights, stay quiet, and prepare countermeasures. We will continue to provide real-time information as we learn more about the shooter’s location; use any updates to make the safest decision for yourself. If the attacker enters your space and escape is not possible, be prepared to counter by creating noise, movement, and distraction to reduce the attacker’s ability to cause harm. If it is safe to do so, evacuate the building immediately and move far away from campus to your rally points. This is not a drill. Take immediate action to protect yourself and follow instructions from law enforcement when you are contacted.”
Avoid-Deny-Defend
“Attention, everyone: There is an active shooter in the science building. If you can safely get away from the area, Avoid the threat by leaving immediately—move far from the building to rally points and help others escape if possible. If you cannot safely leave, Deny the attacker access by locking or barricading the door, turning off the lights, silencing your phone, and staying hidden and quiet. If the attacker breaks into your space and your life is in immediate danger, be prepared to Defend yourself using any objects available to stop the attacker. This is not a drill—take action now and follow instructions from law enforcement when they arrive.”
It is particularly important to realize that each of these announcements is made after the incident has already started. Each program offers three options for responding to the threat, based on your location. However, the “lockdown” response is predicated on initiating a protocol before shooting begins and requires advanced warning of a threat —something that rarely happens in time to make an announcement. It has no plan for contact, and even though some lockdown plans mention evacuation, it is not properly trained or stated in the announcements at schools using lockdown that we have assessed.
Because many shootings begin with immediate gunfire, the ability to initiate a set protocol is eliminated. Plus, simply saying “lockdown” is just a code word for a single-option response, regardless of the location of the threat. It also makes lockdown the primary response, even though lockdown mimics drive-by shootings and earthquake drills, and is not designed for people in contact with a threat. All the other programs require you to choose the primary response
While multi-option programs all prioritize evacuation as the first option, single-option lockdown allows for evacuation only when relative safety shifts away from it, and even then, never properly trains for it.
The plain-language announcement for lockdown, while technically correct, highlights the shortcomings of the lockdown response and how it makes us more vulnerable to threats.
Lockdown
“Attention, everyone: There is an active shooter inside the science building. Move into lockdown immediately. Lock your door, turn off the lights, stay quiet, and move out of sight. Silence all devices and remain hidden. Do not open the door for anyone until law enforcement gives all‑clear. This is not a drill—take action immediately.”
Lockdown is simple and designed as a protocol; however, real‑world incidents often disrupt intended protocols and lead to plan failure.
The reasons fall into five main categories:
- Real events unfold too fast for announcements that require completing a series of steps.
- Staff are not trained to make an announcement after an incident has already begun.
- The lockdown protocol assumes that staff will be able to make an announcement, which may not be possible.
- Lockdown assumes a functional communication system. However, real-world incidents show that systems regularly fail, which is why other training focuses on individual decisions, not rote protocols.
- Having a lockdown plan with posters and rote drills is not the same as developing a habitual response, because it does not properly train individuals for adaptable decision-making that may be needed to save lives.
Active‑shooter announcements frequently occur only after the attack has already begun. Real incidents often unfold with extreme speed, leaving little time for staff to recognize the threat, access communication systems, or deliver structured warnings before gunfire forces an immediate response. This was seen in both the Santa Fe High School shooting, where no announcement was made before students heard shots, and in Uvalde, where a brief “Lockdown!” alert was issued less than a minute before the attacker entered the school.
In these chaotic moments, a rigid, single‑option lockdown message may fail because it assumes staff can reach safety and secure a room, even though many victims in real‑world events were in hallways, outdoors, or in unsecured spaces where lockdown was not possible. Multi‑option models emphasize flexible, adaptive action in their announcements—evacuating if safe, denying entry if trapped, and countering only as a last resort—offering clearer, more context‑appropriate guidance than a lockdown‑only directive. Lockdown announcements can actually endanger occupants by creating predictable, immobile targets and by failing to account for the shooter’s movement.
As real-world incidents consistently show, staff and students need instructions that match the rapidly changing circumstances of an unfolding attack, making multi‑optioned announcements more effective, more survivable, and more aligned with the unpredictable nature of active‑threat violence.