Schools Implement Brand New "Code Red" Procedures in Wake of Florida Shootings
The knee-jerk response to tragedies such as the recent Florida school shooting is often to pass new gun laws or ban the specific firearm used in the crime. While pundits and politicians ineffectively rant about what to do, however, some schools are taking matters into their own hands.
Several facilities throughout the country are stepping up drills to prepare for “code red” events: An active shooter on school grounds. A large part of the preparations involve teaching faculty and students how to escape or barricade themselves when the unthinkable happens — but some schools are also relying on armed staff members.
“At a parochial school in New Mexico, many of the teachers carry guns as a precaution,” reported Inside Edition. “One pastor carries a .45 in a case that looks like a Bible. The principal is also armed with a .38 semi-automatic pistol.”
A reporter from Inside Edition asked students at that Christian school how they felt knowing that teachers and staff members were armed. “How many of you feel safer knowing that your teacher has a gun?” he asked. The entire class raised their hands. “All of you,” the reporter confirmed.
Meanwhile at Hope Christian School in Albuquerque, a retired SWAT officer named Kevin McPherson frequently patrols the hallways armed with a handgun and other tools like a radio.
“I have invested interest here in these kids and I can’t think of a more important thing for me to be doing in my retirement then protecting them from what could happen,” the former police officer explained to KOAT News.
In the wake of the Florida school shooting, Hope Christian School has decided to expand the number of armed guards to provide more coverage.
One state over in Wichita Falls, Texas, teachers with both concealed carry permits and advanced training are frequently armed, and the local school district purposely does not reveal which staff members are qualified to do so.
“They keep it on them at all times,” Harrold ISD Superintendent David Thweatt told KOWK TV. “Folks who come in, if they are coming in to do something like just happened, then they don’t know where they are going to meet resistance and that is very critical to our plan.”
“So, it’s very simple, train the individuals and keep them here. Make sure people know that is exactly what we will do to answer an intruder,” Thweatt elaborated.
He also added that many students aren’t aware that they are quietly being protected, since the armed staff members simply go about their jobs normally.
If an emergency develops, however, they’ll be able to take action instead of cowering in fear. That concept — having the skills and training to be part of the solution — is the purpose of many “code red” drills taking place throughout the nation.
“It’s intended to be as realistic as possible with cops and students covered in fake blood. The drill even included a car bomb,” Inside Edition described one such training event in New Jersey.
“The Department of Homeland Security is sponsoring drills just like it across the country to test the response of police and school authorities.”
Liberal politicians seem to act as if the only possible solution to the school shooting problem is a pile of legislation and more gun free zones, despite the mounting evidence that these measures simply don’t work.
By preparing teachers and other staff members to actually face potential threats with effective methods, schools like Hope Christian School and many others are showing that federal bureaucracy isn’t the way forward.
America may not be able to eliminate evil, but we can confront and stop it in ways that don’t sacrifice freedom for a false sense of security.
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