Fairfield ISD Discusses Guardian Plan
Fairfield ISD is in very early discussions over a possible adoption of the ‘Guardian Plan’.
Today’s world sees more school shootings than in the past. The ‘Guardian Plan’ aims to arm carefully certified staff in the school district to protect the students in the event of an active shooter.
Currently FISD students are taught to pay attention to the announcements. If an active shooter situation does occur, the shooter’s location will be announced over the intercom. This will aid in student’s knowing whether to escape, hide, or in a worst-case scenario, to fight.
In the event of an active shooter situation students are taught:
–Run – Keep hands visible, plan an escape route and leave belongings behind
–Hide – Silence electronics, remove yourself from shooter’s view, lock the door and barricade the entrances.
–Fight – This is the last resort. Attempt to incapacitate the shooter, act physically aggressive and throw items at the shooter.
A ‘Guardian’ falls under the last category: To fight.
In order for a school to enact such a plan, Texas Govt. Code 411.1901 stipulates that they must include a school safety certification course that “provides training in the protection of students, interaction of license holders with first responders, tactics for denying an intruder entry into a classroom or school facility, and methods for increasing a license holder’s accuracy with a handgun while under duress.”
Fairfield ISD Staff and parents were asked to fill out a survey stating whether they were in favor of the proposed Guardian plan.
83% of staff was in support with 17% against the plan. 87% of parents were in favor while 13% were not.
In order to be considered for the ‘Guardian Plan’, a school staff member must meet the following qualifications:
–Hold a valid CHL or LTC from the state of Texas.
–Qualify with their weapon through a certified law enforcement training program.
–Participate and qualify in active shooter training.
–Pass a psychological evaluation.
This is the same training that Law Enforcement Officers take, and potentially some classes could be taken with officers.
Once these conditions are met, school staff members would need to receive board approval.
Additionally, they would be required to attend continuous active shooter training throughout each year and maintain their qualification on their weapon.
The school district would pay for the training required, and qualifications would be monitored by FISD Superintendent, Dr. Jason Adams and FISD Police Chief Billy Barlow, to be sure they are current.
Guardians are anonymous. The number of Guardians, and the location of Guardians is not disclosed to the public.
Their blending in and being unknown is a deterrent important to their ability to protect the students.
If this plan is implemented, the school district would post signs across the entire district, not just on the school campuses.
Dr. Adams has been associated with two other school districts that used the “Guardian Plan” and never felt there was any intimidation or negativity stemming from the plan.
There is another plan in the State of Texas, The Marshall Plan, but it is not currently being discussed. The more obvious differences is the 1 Marshall per 200 students limits a School District may have, a Marshalls ability to act as a peace officer to make arrest, and a Marshall being required to keep their gun under lock if frequently interacting with students.
According to the Department of Homeland Security’s Active Shooter Educational Sheet, “active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes.”
In 2000 there was a single active shooter situation in the United States. That number has climbed significantly in the past 19 years. Just this month alone there have been two shootings.
Approximately 25% of shootings nationwide have occurred at a school.
A majority of the active shooter’s in a High School or Middle School have been a student or past student of that school district. Elementary Schools typically have an adult shooter.
A FBI study shows that confrontation by a citizen, student or staff member has a much higher chance of successfully ending the shooting.
