Littlefield ISD staff to carry firearms through Guardian Plan

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Littlefield ISD is implementing the Guardian Plan, a training course that provides faculty and staff the option to carry a firearm.

Also called School Safety Training, this course allows select faculty and staff to carry a firearm in the event of an active shooter threat, according to the course website. The training allows armed individuals to protect students through deadly force in the time between reporting the situation to police and the police’s arrival.

To qualify for the class, one must already have their Texas License to Carry and be employed by the school.

The training requires:

• 16 hours of instruction by a licensed and certified instructor
• Passing the live fire qualification and simulation training by at least 90 percent
• Taking courses on safely stopping an active shooter

The skills taught in the program are catered toward an active shooter situation, according to the Schools on Target website. Members of the program will be trained to fire multiple shots accurately, to shoot under stress, shooting while moving, one-handed shooting, shooting moving targets and firing from more than 25 yards away.

The Guardian Plan can be personalized to each school district, according to the website. The average cost of certifying and maintaining five people is $1,900.

The program was started in 2009 by Jeff Sellers. In 2014, the Texas Department of Public Safety partnered with the program to expand it across the state.

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