Updated March 21 at 1:15 p.m.

Georgetown ISD’s School Health Advisory Council gave the school board an update on training plans to prepare for violent public events Tuesday evening.

During the annual SHAC report given at the Tuesday night school board meeting, Director of Guidance and Wellness Jennifer Ashman Porter shared information about the district's partnership with the Georgetown Police Department for a program called “Avoid. Deny. Defend." that rolled out during the spring 2018 semester.

The program is a three-step plan for individuals to follow in the event of any act of public violence, not just in schools, Porter said. 

"It's something anyone in the community can use to keep themselves safe," she said.

The “Avoid. Deny. Defend” strategy was developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University in San Marcos.

According to the strategy, witnesses of a violent event should avoid the source of the threat, deny the threat access to them and defend themselves against the threat as a last resort.

ALERRT was created in 2002 to address the need for first responders’ active shooter-response training. In February, the U.S. Department of Justice awarded ALERRT $5.4 million to use to improve rapid response to active-shooter events.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the health advisory council recommended the district take part in  "Avoid. Deny. Defend." The story has been edited to clarify that the program is already being implemented in Georgetown ISD schools.