Love those weapons! AR-15s and Smoke Grenades!! Yay!!! (Page 4)

Our district pays for a school resource officer to be on premises, that doesn't bother me. 

I'm more concerned with the mindset of the assailant and what has made them that way.

Yes he is armed. We're a small school in a rural community.

173 students in the entire school k-12.

23 students in the senior class this year. 

The entire district is in one building. 

Trigal, I wish I had a bunch of answers for you, but I don't.  I'm happy to tell you my experience and what I tell/teach my own children.

First, by way of understanding, I was one of the first 10 officers into a mass shooting in which an azzhole killed 2 police officers, 3 council members and the mayor of the city where I work.  I was on my way home when my radio went off and my guys had already stormed the chambers and killed the azzhole by the time I got back there.  I dealt with the investigation of it, along with the interviews of over 40 people who were present.  It gave me some insight as you can imagine.

Second, I run the school resource officers program at my department, along with other duties and responsibilities.  We have a 3400 student High School, 2 middle schools of over 1800 students, and 5 grade schools.  We have one officer in the high school, one in each middle school, and a roving officer that covers the grade schools.

Third, I am the lead firearms instructor at my department and lead the development of training programs for critical incident response.

Last (actually first by a long shot), I am the father of 5.  The last two still in public school are twin girls who are seniors in high school......I know their fears intimately.

Our city council chambers was shot up by a disgruntled citizen that we all knew well.  We all  had dealt with him in many situations, and knew that he was falling into a pretty deep battle with the City.  The council chambers are literally 50 yards from the police station.  He first killed an officer who was walking across the street to get a pizza, took his gun, and walked into the council chambers carrying 2 pistols behind a placard he was carrying in protest of one of his many issues with the City.  He walked into the chambers, up to the Police officer who was on guard duty that night, dropped the placard and shot him in the head.  He then shot the city building commissioner, then the mayor, then a council woman who was crawling away, then walked behind the dias and began to shoot council members who were hiding there.  Our city attorney, seeing this, jumped up and began to throw chairs toward the azzhole.  he threw everything he could get his hands on as he made his way to the door, and as he ran out, Officers responding to the screaming and people pouring out of the building charged into the chamber and killed the azzhole.  From the time he walked into the chambers until he was killed was 51 seconds.  We were too late to save 5 people and we were 50 yards away. 

I teach my children to run at the sound of gunfire.  if they happen to be on the 1st or 2nd floor I have taught them, and showed them, how to break windows and jump, and then run.  If they are on a higher floor I have taught them to run for the opposite stairwell of where they hear shooting, if possible.  If not, because the shooting is in the hallway, I have taught them to barricade their door, arm themselves with whatever they can come up with, and prepare to fight.  The training that we now do with all of our schools in based on the idea of "run, hide, fight".....and the basics are what I teach my daughters.  I also teach them to prepare to lead the charge if needed, because I can tell you, you can't know how anyone will respond to that situation and you absolutely cannot count on them saving you.....especially if you are at the age my kids are and capable of fighting if need be.  I have gone so far as to wrestle with my daughters so they know what a man's strength will feel like to them.....they had no idea but they have at least SOME idea now.

You are in a different boat.  You have 2nd graders......none of them will fight.  You will have to break the windows and get them out, or barricade them in the room, and maybe ultimately fight for them.  What you have going for you is that these shootings ALMOST never happen at grade schools.....yeah, I know, you don't have to tell me when it did.

Your school resource officer MIGHT happen to be in the right place if it does happen.....God, I hope so.  if not, understand that we are coming, and we will kill whoever is attacking you, but we will absolutely be late.....because this is all going to happen in a matter of minutes, or even seconds.  Until we get there you are on your own......practice...and move FAST, no matter if you are getting your kids out, barricading, or fighting.  Easy targets are what school shooters find.....don't be one!

Hopefully you and your co-workers have had ALICE training.  if not, ask your school resource officer about it.  If he doesn't know, contact me and I'll hook you up with a department or someone in your area who does it.  It's pretty basic, but it does cover the bases.

Thank you for teaching!  Your work is so important!  Don't be afraid to do your job.....fork these idiots.

I don't know how you do it, your work I mean. 

 I taught preschool for 13 years, stayed home to take care of my own kids for 8 years and dipped my foot back into full time work at the school as an aide 3 years ago. My first day back to work after 8 years at home was our ALICE training to start the school year. The officer played audio from one of the shootings. I almost had an anxiety attack - got hot, dizzy, sick to my stomach and thought what am I signing up for?  He also showed a diagram of Virginia tech, how many in each room and if the doors were locked/barricaded. Yes, we've had the training but like you describe this all happens so fast. 

Thanks for taking the time to reply and for your service to the community. I will be taking another look at the classrooms I teach in at work today. 

Look, it's really as simple as training your brain.  The way you do that is you mentally go to that place you fear, in your head, a couple of times a day.  It's a short exercise.  Some time in the morning, while the kids you teach are busy with something, imagine that you hear shots coming from wherever you want to imagine them coming from.  Look around you. What can you do?  Where can you go?  What do you have at your disposal? Who can help? Do it again in the afternoon.  It takes a very short few minutes but those exercises, if practiced enough, become the way your brain will work if something does happen.  Have some plans, and practice them in your head.  It will almost certainly never happen to you, but if it does you will be surprised how automatic your response will be.

I did it for years and years as a young Police Officer and actually ended up needing to use force much less than many of my fellow officers.  I'm convinced it's because I rarely put myself in a bad position, and acted quickly and decisively when things went sideways.....because I had been there many times in my head.

Make it a habit for yourself.......and do it every day.

I got a pretty good laugh out of that this morning myself.  I read CNN every day, they are friggin' shameless for sure.  Most of the contributions are 1000.00 or so.  I get a pretty big kick out of that since CNN always tries to use the "NRA has politicians in their pocket" routine.  LMAOOOOOOOOOO

Who can I get and control for 1000.00??  I'm serious, I want my own politician dammit, and I've got a spare grand sitting around.

I got a pretty good laugh out of that this morning myself.  I read CNN every day, they are friggin' shameless for sure.  Most of the contributions are 1000.00 or so.  I get a pretty big kick out of that since CNN always tries to use the "NRA has politicians in their pocket" routine.  LMAOOOOOOOOOO

Who can I get and control for 1000.00??  I'm serious, I want my own politician dammit, and I've got a spare grand sitting around.

I'm thinking I could get one for a couple hundred bucks here in Mo.  My daughters are headed off in August so I need one who can do dishes and laundry.

I didn't say that......I simply said they are leaving and I'd like someone to do dishes and laundry.