Florida's Steps To PREVENT School Shootings

[luzyfuerza]

Florida led the nation in implementing shall-issue concealed carry laws.

Florida appears to also be leading the nation in taking steps to prevent school shootings. Like Columbine. Like Sandy Hook. Like Parkland. Like Virginia Tech. Like Uvalde.

After Parkland, Florida state legislators created:

1) A state office to coordinate implementation of safe school policies
2) A training, certification, and recertification program for armed school guardians. The guardian program provides 144 hours of firearms proficiency training for school staff that is similar to that taught in police academies. School districts can opt-in to this program, but sheriff departments must provide the training if requested.
3) An app that makes it easy for students and school staff to report threats against schools and school children
4) Requirements to provide a safe-school officer at every school in the state
5) Requirements to conduct safety assessments of school facilities
6) Funding for necessary safety-related upgrades to school facilities

Details can be found here: https://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/


Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has been involved in Florida's efforts to prevent future school shootings. His comments on Uvalde, as well as comments from a member of Florida's state school board, who actually took guardian training, can be seen here:




How many other states have implemented similar programs to protect school children from on-campus shooters? How are they different from Florida's model?

Has your state failed to take any steps that you know of to protect school children?

Do you think that Florida's approach might also a useful model for national policies?

 

[Basura Blanca]

State education code here (California) very broadly says schools must be safe, clean, etc. so it's not as if there's a barrier to raising security. I imagine almost every other state's laws have similar language. But in spite of current events, school shootings like that are rare and I'm not entirely of the belief that giving oxygen to the debate in this way is the right move. Also, it's not as if Ulvalde schools had no security plan.

Limiting access to campus is the cheapest, most cost effective way to boost security. I work in elementary schools. It's a no-brainer.

 

[The Glockodile]

Schools are a horribly distracting environment for which teachers have always had my admiration.

I can't imagine how they maintain order - and what level of focus that requires.

I doubt they'd have any extra energy to appropriate for "Situational Awareness" while armed.

 

[Robert]

Good for them. But school safety, in and of itself, is off topic for THR.