Training in Session for Texas Educators to Become School Marshals

Training in Session for Texas Educators to Become School Marshals

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Jul 18, 2014

It seems like yesterday that 20 students and 6 adults were gunned down inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. With this tragedy still ever-present in the minds of teachers, staff, students, parents and the whole country, schools across the United States have responded by updating security measures.

Some Texas school districts are taking security to a whole new level in response to a new state law that allows trained school staff members to carry guns on school campuses. On Monday, July 14, 2014, seven educators, from across the state of Texas, began to train to be the first armed school marshals in the state. These educators were chosen by their schools, passed a psychological evaluation, received their concealed handgun license and got the “stamp of approval” from the Texas Association of Law Enforcement before submitting an application to this training program.

Hosted by Tarrant County College’s Northwest Campus, this “marshal school” taught by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, consists of an 80 hour curriculum focusing on gun use, violence prevention and active-shooter scenarios as well as hands-on training activities like going to a gun range and discussing recent school shooting tragedies to learn from past mistakes.

On the first day of training, educators spent their afternoon participating in timed exercises, testing their gun shooting ability at 3, 7 and 15 feet. Hitting the inner rings (emulating the center of a torso) of the target was the goal at each distance, earning the shooter 5 points. Hitting the next ring out would earn the shooter only 4 points, and so forth. To successfully complete this section of training, students had to earn at least 175 points.

Once the trainees, whose identities are being kept secret, known only to police and school officials for safety reasons, pass the training class, the marshals will have the same authority as a police officer with the ability to also make arrests. They will work as armed educators to help handle situations like an active shooter on campus, so decision-making skills are paramount.

A Few Notes

  • According to CBS DFW, most of the trainees are from smaller Texas school districts and Dallas ISD and Ft. Worth ISD said that they will not be participating.
  • Even though the identities are being kept secret, according to this Dallas News article, the writer said, “During the first day, the seven men…” so apparently all 7 trainees are male. (Probably not a good idea to release this detail to the public, just saying. And, I wonder why no female educators are being trained?)
  • Also mentioned in the Dallas News article, “Argyle ISD, in southwest Denton County, is among the first districts to approve having such marshals on campus.”

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.