Ohio is a national leader in empowering educators and staff to protect students from active shooter threats.
With support from the Buckeye Firearms Association and its FASTER (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response) program, thousands of teachers, administrators, and support personnel have volunteered for training to provide life-saving defense when police may be minutes away.
Districts adopting armed staff are rising quickly. According to the Columbus Dispatch, 97 school districts and schools now arm personnel, compared to 67 last year and just 46 in 2023. Much of this growth is in smaller, rural counties where long police response times pose greater risks.
Belmont County had seven districts, one private school, and a career tech center arm their staff. Larger urban areas, such as Columbus and Cincinnati, have been slower to embrace the option, though even a two- or three-minute police response can leave students vulnerable.
Research by Purdue University’s Homeland Security Institute shows the most effective protection comes from combining School Resource Officers with armed staff. The study shows this approach can reduce fatalities by more than 80%. Importantly, armed staff are not tasked with hunting attackers; they shelter with their students and act only if a classroom or office is breached.
Every armed staffer serves voluntarily, stepping forward to protect their students and colleagues. While only about 10% of Ohio schools currently participate, the rapid growth shows momentum. Expanding programs like FASTER remains essential to safeguarding children across the state.
