PALATKA, Fla. — While details of the horrific school shooting in Texas continue to be released, many of our viewers may be wondering if that would be possible in Florida.
Florida laws shaped and changed the way schools are protected in the wake of the 2018 shooting in Parkland. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office was at the forefront of school safety then, and continues their promise to keep schools safe.
"A lot of children died during the times of waiting, and we don't have any minutes to spare," says PCSO Colonel Joe Wells as he reflects on the need for law enforcement to act quickly during active shooting scenes.
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office takes a proactive approach to school safety.
They train school personnel to carry firearms in school, something they call the Guardian Program, and they let potential criminals know that school officials are armed. Every school building in the district has a sign with bold red letters that says 'Attention: Be aware that some of the staff at Putnam County Schools are armed and will use force to protect our students,' clearly stating that safety and protection of students is the highest priority.
All guns in the Guardian Program are owned and registered through the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, and guardians have extensive training.
"The folks who go through the Guardian Program go through more hours of firearm training than basic recruits go through in law enforcement academy," says PCSO Captain of Special Operations Randy Hayes. "We actually delve a lot more into making sure the shots count."
Guardians must have 80 hours of firearm training,16 hours of precision pistol training and must qualify twice a year, which is double the amount that is required of law enforcement.
The sign about armed school personnel within the school is not a warning, it's a promise that the school is being guarded.
"Even if there is an attempt, the threat that attempts to harm any of our kinds would be eradicated relatively quick," says PCSO Major and Director of Law Enforcement Steve Rose.
Guardians are meant to be the first line of defense and an instant backup to the first officers on scene. Those officers have direct orders when responding to an active shooter scene.
"Our deputy sheriffs are trained, equipped and expected to immediately upon arrival to search for and eliminate the threat," says PCSO Colonel Joe Wells. "They don't wait for backup deputies, they enter the school, listen for sounds of screaming children and are to immediately engage the threat and take it out."
The Guardian Program in Putnam County has been used as a blueprint for other school districts across the state of Florida and the United States.