FASTERSavesLives.org at the OSBA conference

FASTER Saves Lives will have a booth at this year’s Ohio School Board Association’s “Capital Conference.” We were so well received last year that we have doubled our booth space this year. We will have various people at the booth including an attorney, Superintendent and John Benner of Tactical Defense Institute to discuss options for preventing, stopping, and treating injured from an active killer event at your school.

The conference is the second-largest school board conferences in the country. It is held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center November 8 through the 11th. The trade show will take place Monday, November 9 from 10 am to 5 pm and Tuesday, November 10 from 9 am to 4 pm.

Does your school have a trauma kit?

FASTER Saves Lives will be giving away 10 classroom trauma kits valued at $75 each and one facility kit valued at $700. Visit us at booth 1123 and 1125 and register to win one of these great kits and find out if your school has the required gear and training to allow your staff to deal with trauma injuries.

There are many “Essential Learning Sessions” for attendees to choose from. Those concerned with safety and violence will want to attend “Arming Staff – A status report.” This session will be held Monday at 2pm in room D131. Dr. Dick Caster, Mr. Jeff Staggs, Mr. Wes Hairston, and Mr. Eric Floyd will be presenting. These individuals have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share from an educator’s standpoint.

School violence is a topic that every school board has faced. Violence can happen anywhere, even in the most peaceful or affluent districts. Stop by and learn why authorizing school staff to carry firearms is not as controversial as many believe. We will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Hundreds of educators and law enforcement have attended various levels of FASTER Saves Lives training over the past three years. The program has evolved to meet the needs of our schools. We are taking requests for next year’s training slots. If your school is interested in the best practice to deal with active killer/active shooter situations, sign up now for training or visit us at the OSBA trade show.

Register for FASTER Saves Lives training: https://fastersaveslives.org/application-for-faster-training
Register for the OSBA Capital Conference: http://conference.ohioschoolboards.org/2015/registration/

Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Foundation President, BFA PAC Chairman and recipient of the NRA-ILA’s 2011 “Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award,” the CCRKBA’s 2012 “Gun Rights Defender of the Year Award,” and the SAF’s 2015 “Defender of Freedom Award.

FASTER Introduction Video

Buckeye Firearms Foundation (501c3) president Jim Irvine introduces the Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response (FASTER) Program

Are terrorists watching your kid’s school?

I got a call from a school superintendent last week. There was a threat against a school. There would be a shooting involving a rifle during the 6th period that day. The attack didn’t happen, but the school and law enforcement took it seriously.

If this was terrorists’ probing, it gave them a good look at the response they will need to contend with when they execute a mass hostage siege at our schools.

This is just one event. But it is just the latest in a series of events I’m aware of where there is a threat against a school, but no threat materializes. Sometimes these can be easily be explained as a kid trying to cancel class to get out of taking an exam he’s not prepared for. But it is becoming more common that we don’t find any such explanation.

What is going on?

Before terrorists attacked our airlines, they profiled. They researched. They studied. Mohamad Atta was a frequent flier who spent years putting together the teams, the plan, and the specific flights they would hijack. Terrorists put in great effort before an event because they know planning greatly increase the probability of success. On 9/11/2001, they had success while we suffered failure.

Terrorists have told us they will target out kids. They have slaughtered school children in many other countries, and there are many clues that indicate they are well into the planning stages in the United States.

Law enforcement is familiar with the spectre of an “unholy trinity:” State-sponsored terrorists organizations, (Al Qaeda/ISIS/Hamas) Mexican drug lords, and U.S. gangs (MS-13 is estimated to have over 20,000 members in the United States). Terrorists pay the drug lords to import key terrorists, who work with the gangs to pull off an attack on our kids.

In this weekend’s Wall Street Journal, there were several stories about terrorism. The caption under a front page photo of Israeli forces behind burning tires stated, “…Hamas calling for in escalation of the confrontation.” In “Obama’s options narrow in Syria”, they noted that the “Pentagon abandons plan” and “President Barack Obama is picking from two bad options for how to respond.” And in “America’s fading footprint in the Middle East,” the subtitle is, “As Russia bombs and Iran plots, the U.S. role is shrinking – and the region’s major players are looking for new ways to advance their own interests.”

As the saying goes, we can fight them there, or we can fight them here. It is obvious to all that we chose not to fight them there.

The terrorists have told us that blood will run in our streets, that they will kill our children, who they see as “noble targets.” We have a clearer picture that they will attack our schools like they did in Beslan, Russia than we had prior to the 9/11 attacks. And yet most don’t take this threat seriously.

I just spoke to a woman- a mother – who has offered to pay for her school board to attend the upcoming seminar with John Giduck. She knows that just because you can’t stop every threat does not mean we should not try our best to do everything we can.

It scares me what we are seeing. It scares superintendents I know that others in their profession are not taking this threat seriously.

On October 24, we are bringing in our nation’s expert to talk about what happened in Russia, and what is likely being planned for our schools right now. He will discuss what lessons can be learned and what steps can be taken by schools and law enforcement to be better prepared. We encourage you to attend “Preparing for Terror – The Massacre coming to your School.”

Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Association President, BFA PAC Chairman and recipient of the NRA-ILA’s 2011 “Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award” the CCRKBA’s 2012 “Gun Rights Defender of the Year Award,” and the SAF’s 2015 “Defender of Freedom Award.

Jim Irvine a SAF “Defender of Liberty” award winner

Buckeye Firearms Association is proud to announce that our president, Jim Irvine, has been recognized by the Second Amendment Foundation for his tireless service to the cause of gun rights.

Irvine was awarded SAF's 2015 “Defender of Freedom Award” by SAF founder Alan Gottlieb at the recent Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC). 

Speaking of the honor, Gottlieb said “The accomplishments of Jim Irvine defending the Second Amendment have not gone unnoticed. He is recognized from coast to coast as one of the key grassroots leaders by his piers in the national gun rights movement. Ohio is very lucky to have him.”

In receiving the award, Irvine noted that “I get to stand here and receive the award and applause, but this was really earned by all my teammates who do the work day in and day out to make us effective. Thanks to all our supporters and volunteers who make organization successful.”

A total of six people were awarded the “Defender of Liberty” award:

  • Andy Alan, President, Nebraska Firearms Owners Political Action Fund
  • Sean Caranna, Co-Executive Director, Florida Carry Inc.
  • David Hardy, Esq.
  • Jim Irvine, President, Buckeye Firearms Association
  • Alexander Roubian, President, New Jersy Second Amendment Society
  • Paul Valone, President, Grass Roots North Carolina

Alan Gura, Esq., of Heller and McDonald fame, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. Gottlieb noted that he hoped he was giving the award prematurely. I think every freedom-loving American feels the same way.

The Nevada Firearms Council recognition as the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) Grassroots Organization of the Year award this year. Buckeye Firearms Association was given the same honor in 2007 and again in 2011.

Grassroots Activist of the Year was awarded to Fred Dahnke of the Arizona Citizens Defense League.

Dr. John Lott Jr. won an award for the scholar who has done great research. Lott continues to excel in this category and has given us all the ammunition we need to win any debate on the issues related to firearms and crime.

The Illinois State Rifle Association won the “Affiliate of the Year” award. The ISRA has won this award more than any other state association. The fact that most people thought Illinios would never pass “shall issue,” but now they have it, is proof of the great and tireless work they have done.

CCRKBA's Gun Rights Defender of the Year – an award Irvine received in 2012 – was given to Mark Walters of Armed American Radio. Mark hosts a syndicated radio show on Sunday evenings. Demand has been so strong that he now does an hour show every weekday so listeners can get their daily dose of freedom.

Legislator of the Year honors went to Governor Greg Abbot of Texas. Governor Abbot signed bills to allow open carry in Texas and concealed carry on college campus. He also helped with fundraiser to help fund the various work the SAF does. Gottlieb noted that Abbot was a “leading governor pushing gun rights anywhere in the United States.”

“It is an honor to be mentioned with the other award winners,” Irvine continued. “When you spend a day in the room with such people, it is easy to see why our movement has been so successful over the past couple decades, and why we are gaining momentum.”

The awards were given is the “Awards Luncheon” where Gottlieb recognizes people and organizations for their work and commitment to the Second Amendment.

Another mass shooting – FASTERSavesLives.org has solutions

The latest mass killing at Umpqua Community College in Oregon has media and “experts” talking about what we should do about these events. Rather than talk about what we could do, or should do, or might do, let me tell you what we HAVE done.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, Buckeye Firearms Foundation announced it would pay for a class of 24 educators to attend a three-day class conducted by John Benner at Tactical Defense Institute (TDI).

While our organization was mocked for thinking teachers would sign up for gun training, more than 1,000 educators were pleading to be included in the training.

In Newtown and other places, teachers and educators sacrificed their lives trying to save our kids. They stepped in front of a firing AR-15 attempting to shield children. Compare their bravery to the politicians who pass gun control in the dark of night because they know it is useless in preventing similar killings. If our educators are willing to die for our children, then we owe it them to give them the tools and skills to win these fights, stop the killer, treat the injured, hug our kids, and send them home to their parents.

This should not be a debate about guns; it should be a discussion about safety. That is the mission of the FASTERSavesLives.prg program sponsored by Buckeye Firearms Foundation.

Unable to instantly train all those who asked, we brought in internationally renowned expert Lt. Col. Dave Grossman to talk with them about the problem and solutions. He discussed mindset and what it takes to survive, and even thrive, in the toxic environment of killing. I remember a woman finding the discussion so emotionally difficult that she left the room crying. She took a few deep breaths, regained her composure, and went back in. “I owe it to my kids to learn these lessons.” Again, note the bravery of our educators.

The outpouring of thanks at the end of the day was gratifying, but more so were the comments that they would use the knowledge to change policy at their schools. They were on a mission to make their schools safer, and years later they have made and continue to be involved in improvements in their districts.

The first class was conducted in March of 2013. Though we trained in cold and snow, no one complained. The attitude educators brought to class was amazing. Teachers made great students. They listened, they learned, they practiced, and they executed. The pride they showed at completing their qualification shoot and successfully solving problems in force-on-force training was contagious. The financial support we received for what we were doing was overwhelming.

We could not train 24 out of 1,000+ people and call it a job well done. Donations outpaced expenses, so we added two more classes, then several more. We added Chris Cerino of Cerino Training Group as an instructor giving us a northern Ohio training location.

One of the most common comments at the end of a FASTER Saves Lives class is, “I’m a changed person, and I’m never going back to the way I was before.”

In 2014, we conducted another seven FASTER Saves Lives classes. Schools that had sent people through class the prior year wanted more people trained, and more training for those already carrying. We called on all schools to have trauma kits, and we have worked with schools to get them gear and train their people in its use. Benner designed a Level 2 class – three additional days of training where the scenarios become far more complex, difficult, and stressful. All graduates of this class received complementary trauma kits valued at $75 each.

This year (2015) we did more classes with Cerino and Benner. Our first class to fill up was the Level 2 class where students are required to have experience carrying guns in schools to be accepted. Instead of furnishing trauma kits only to Level 2 graduates, this year we gave them out at all classes. We have given away over $10,000 in trauma gear to our educators and helped other schools buy appropriate kits for their school and budget.

We have presented at the Ohio School Board Association’s “Capital Conference” on the topic of active killers and will have a booth again at their show in November.

We have met with school boards all over Ohio to help them understand active killer events and what they can do to prepare for, prevent, end, and recover from these events. We have seen the understanding and preparation of schools exceed our wildest dreams from a few years ago. And we have learned much from these relationships as we all work together for safer schools.

We have trained many School Recourse Officers (SRO’s) who are police officers who work in the schools providing a critical layer of security. We have seen police who have had initial concerns about the program take the time to listen and learn, and then embrace what we offer. We have seen relationships grow and watched cross-training programs develop between school staff and law enforcement as both continue to come up with effective ways to deal with school violence.

We have added in-school training, where trainers train the school staff in their own buildings. These classes include law enforcement and non-armed individuals, whom we train in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) to prevent the injured from bleeding to death. The best way to work together on event day is to be training together on a regular basis.

We have spent approximately $400,000 to make our schools safer, and we will continue to invest in our schools and educators. We have met with legislators in Ohio and other states to improve our laws and protect those who are protecting our children.

We have trained college staff, because we believe the killing of our college kids is just as wrong as the killing of our grade school kids.

We are committed to the safety of all our schools, and we are proud to have been involved in sharing of real solutions to violence in our society.

As far as we know, the FASTERSavesLives program.org has trained more educators, invested more dollars, and offered more solutions than any program in the country. It is not because we are great; it is because our instructors Benner and Cerino are great. It is because the commitment the educators we have worked with are great. It is because people have supported us with their wallets and allowed us to fulfill the needs of our schools.

As you listen to others talk about what we SHOULD do, we are proud to talk about what we HAVE done.

We have graduated over 350 people from more than 100 districts, with over two dozen districts sending people through our Level 2 training. We have partnered with experts and school staff to keep our children safe. None of the bad things that detractors said “could happen” have occurred. One of our schools was the target of an active killer, but we saw the greatest success – the killing that didn’t happen. Another school’s relationship with law enforcement led to quickly solving a murder that reached across state lines.

The program is excellent. It works. We have real success stories and not one school that has authorized has terminated its program. The recent killings prove that our country has a long way to go, and we are ready to lead the way.

Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Foundation President, BFA PAC Chairman and recipient of the NRA-ILA’s 2011 “Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award” the CCRKBA’s 2012 “Gun Rights Defender of the Year Award,” and the SAF’s 2015 “Defender of Freedom Award.”

Op-Ed: Gun rights are the people’s rights

Editor’s Note: FASTERSavesLives.org Program Director Joe Eaton submitted the following op-ed to the Cleveland Plain Dealer in response to an anti-gun rights screed published recently by that news outlet. As it happens, Eaton’s op-ed appeared at Cleveland.com the day after yet another mass murder in a “no-guns” zone.

Guest columnist Robert Grow, in his Sept. 25 op-ed, “Ohio, let’s stop pandering to the gun lobby,” seems to mistakenly believe that the “body politic” and “the government” are ‘prostituting’ or doing the bidding of the gun industry.

I have been involved in the gun-rights movement for well over 25 years and never in this entire time have I met this mysterious ‘gun industry’ when I am meeting with Ohio lawmakers, testifying in committee, working on campaigns or otherwise lobbying for improvements in Ohio’s gun laws.

What/who I have met there are tens of thousands of other concerned Ohioans, many of whom are aware that the Bible does indeed say “Defend the widow and the orphan.” What these every-day Ohioans are also aware of is that the Bible does not command this of the government, but of each and every one of us.

Mr. Grow also seems to mistakenly believe that lawmakers can do anything to prevent violence and tragedies such as the one he mentioned at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  No one allowed 6-year-olds to be massacred except for the one person carrying out the violent act.  Any politician and any other person would have certainly done everything possible to halt the murder of those innocent children — including sacrificing their lives, as Dawn Hochsprung, Mary Sherlach, Lauren Rousseau, Rachel D’Avino, Anne Marie Murphy, and Victoria Leigh Soto all proved on Dec. 14, 2012.

What lawmakers can do is to tell all future Dawn Hochsprungs and Mary Sherlachs that you have the God-given right to choose any tool and any means to defend yourself and the children you care for. Should a violent criminal attempt to take more innocent lives, every person should have the choice to do something besides stand between the violence and the innocent and die.

In fact, here in Ohio, the Buckeye Firearms Foundation, a 501(c)(3) educational charity, decided after the tragedy at Sandy Hook that it would not fold its arms, close its eyes or otherwise refuse to do anything.

What the foundation did do was reach out to the national experts on mass public killings, school violence and active killers and determine what the experts recommended could be done.

The experts all said the same thing: Despite all efforts to catch these criminals ahead of time, once the murders start, the only thing that matters is TIME.

The quicker someone stops the killing and starts caring for the injured, the more lives will be saved. Police departments and others want to help, but the simple truth is that they cannot be there in time no matter how badly they want to.

Since 2013, the FASTERSavesLives.org program — started by the Buckeye Firearms Foundation at no cost to any Ohio school that chooses to have armed staff as part of its school safety plan — has spent more than $350,000 providing free firearm, crisis management and emergency medical training to more than 400 teachers and other staff. The school district selects the staff while national experts on school violence and active killings do the training, the Buckeye Firearms Foundation pays the bills and the schools implement the program to fit their situation.

These schools understand that they have a certain number of staff who will do anything to defend the children in their care and they want this limited number of loving, caring and motivated protectors to have every means they are comfortable with to do something besides die in front of their children.

So here we are, almost three years since the horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary shocked, outraged and disgusted our nation. Some of us are doing everything we can to make sure Ohio schools are safer while others continue to complain that the government is negligent.

Mr. Grow may wish to remove his consent to be governed, but government or no government, it will forever remain the responsibility of each individual to provide for the safety and security of ourselves, our family and those around us however we think most appropriate. Time will tell which one is the right choice.

Joe Eaton of Franklin, in southwest Ohio’s Warren County, is the volunteer program director for FASTERSavesLives.org.

IMPORTANT Seminar Oct. 24: “Preparing for Terror – The Massacre Coming to Your School”

You saw the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001 when 4 airplanes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Towers, Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field. And there have been more attacks in the years since … Trolley Square Mall, Ft. Hood, Navy Yard, Boston Bombing and more.

Home-grown terrorists are among us and can cause severe trauma and death to those they target, but a far larger threat many be looming.

Terrorists have said: Children are noble targets! We owe America 2 million dead children, just to even the score.

We’ve seen America’s future in Russia

It happened on September 1, 2004 and lasted three days. Over 1,100 were captured and held hostage, including 777 children. It ended with 385 innocent people dead. Experts say it will happen in America sooner than we think, possibly in your community.


Come learn the lessons about terrorism from one of the world’s experts. He was in Beslan in the days following the attack. He talked to the soldiers, the government officials and the victims. He has spent 15 years studying these events and teaching others the horrifying lessons we cannot afford to ignore.

Discover what to look for, and what steps you can take to make your town, your community, and your schools safer from this looming threat.

This will be a frightening look into actual events that happened to school children and what many believe is currently being planned for YOUR children.

Terrorists are smart enough to learn from past events. We must be too.

Register Now!

Proceeds benefit Buckeye Firearms Foundation

CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS: For most of our events, you may cancel and receive a refund (less a $10 processing fee) up to 3 weeks before an event. No refunds within 3 weeks of an event.

About John Giduck
Dr. Giduck has a Bachelor’s Degree from Penn State and a law degree from the University of Denver. He also earned a Master’s Degree specializing in Russian studies, from the University of Colorado, which included completion of the Russian Culture and Language Program at St. Petersburg State University in Russia. He holds a Ph.D. in Middle East Studies from King’s College in London. His dissertation was on the evolution of jihadist terrorist mass-hostage siege tactics throughout the world and formed the basis for his latest book.

He has traveled and worked throughout the world, including years working in Russia and the former Soviet Union, and his master’s thesis was an examination of the expansion of Russian organized crime after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He has provided training for U.S. state and federal law enforcement, government agencies and special operations military units.

He is a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Disaster Medicine and Management of Philadelphia University, where he teaches master’s level terrorism courses, in addition to teaching criminology and homeland security courses at Regis University as well as at the doctoral level for Colorado Technical University.

He has authored several books: Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy With Lessons for America’s SchoolsShooter Down! The Dramatic, Untold Story of the Police Response to the Virginia Tech Massacre, along with co-author Police Commissioner Joseph M. Bail; and When Terror Returns: The History and Future of Terrorist Mass-Hostage Sieges.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation’s Jim Irvine addresses 2015 GRPC on FASTER program

Buckeye Firearms Foundation President Jim Irvine was invited to the 2015 Gun Rights Policy Conference to speak about FASTERSavesLives.org, the groundbreaking, nonprofit program that gives educators practical violence response training.

Irvine remarks begin at 53m 51s on the counter in the embedded video below, or click here to begin the video at his remarks in a new window.

Dallas TX area school provides trauma kits to all school resource officers.

More schools system are moving forward with FASTER style training.

Link to full story

FRISCO — Preparing for the worst-case scenario is a police officer’s job. And when your patrol beat includes campus hallways, that means you must be ready to react to a school shooting.

Though such events are rare, deadly shootings like those at Sandy Hook Elementary or Columbine High have had educators and police constantly looking for new ways to protect students.

So this year, the Frisco Police Department has issued “go bags” to all 25 of its school resource officers assigned to work in the district’s high schools and middle schools. The bags contain tourniquets and Israeli bandages — designed for traumatic injuries such as gunshot wounds — as well as tactical gear like straps that could be used to drag a person to safety and door stops to limit access to an area.

“You hope you can go 20 years and never have to use it, but if you do, it could be the difference between life and death for someone,” said Officer Jerry Varner, who works at Liberty High School.

Frisco police and the school district worked together to provide the bags after learning about them at a law enforcement conference.

During recent training for the go bags, paramedics taught officers how to use the medical supplies while others went over uses for the tactical gear.

FASTER 3 Years and Growing

FASTER 3 Year Review

Buckeye Firearms Foundation’s (501c3) Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response (FASTER) program is approaching the end of it’s third full year FASTER_Logo-RGB-2C and amazing progress is being made toward safer schools all across Ohio. The FASTER program was developed as a common sense response to the horrific murders at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. While others looked at this tragedy as an excuse to push for more restrictions on honest gunowners or to discuss mental health and other secondary issues, the board of directors at the Buckeye Firearms Foundation decided to step away from the circular debate and focus on solutions. The solution we found was a 30 hour training program developed by John Benner at Tactical Defense Institute. The program was based on the ‘Active Killer’ training Mr. Benner had been providing to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and others for over a decade. The training includes the knowledge and skills needed to effectively stop a threat along with the crisis management and emergency medical skills needed to handle the aftermath and continue saving lives while waiting on outside assistance to arrive.

What started in early 2013 as a pilot program for 24 teachers and administrators from schools across Ohio has grown into a multi-year curriculum with attendees from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Before the initial class of 24 could be completed we had received requests from over 1000 others wanting to participate in the FASTER program. With the large number schools looking to have armed staff on the premises, another $100,000 was earmarked to provide another 4 classes at absolutely no cost to the schools. We also expanded to a second venue provided by the Chris Cerino Training Group in northern Ohio. The Buckeye Firearms Foundation was determined to make sure that budget and schedule/travel issues would not prevent schools from obtaining the best available training for any staff who would be armed in Ohio’s schools.
Small_Dots_1
By the end of 2013 it was clear that the FASTER program could not just be a one-and-done type of event. The need and the demand was simply too strong and many schools simply could not do it on their own. For 2014 the board of directors committed another $125,000 to provide training for another 125 teachers and administrators, this time not only from Ohio, but from other states where the desire to duplicate the FASTER program was strong. In 2014 we funded the first ‘Level 2’ FASTER class. This class was only available to staff who had previously completed the initial 3 days FASTER training and who had already been carrying in the schools. This pilot class of dedicated teachers and administrators were also the first to receive at no cost to them, emergency trauma kits providing the supplies they would need to treat the most likely causes of death in any violent event or other traumatic school emergency. During 2014, the Buckeye Firearms Foundation announced another initiative to get these life saving supplies into all Ohio schools. In November John Benner and foundation president Jim Irvine were invited to present on the FASTER program at the Ohio School Board Association’s (OSBA) capital conference and trade show in Columbus Ohio. This conference is one of the largest in the country and was attended by over 9,000 Ohio school board members.

The FASTER program started 2015 with a budget for a total of five classes with another 125 teachers and staff. For FOF_B7the first time every FASTER participant would receive a classroom trauma kit valued at $75.00. The year started with tons of interest from dozens of school districts across Ohio who had seen information on the FASTER program in the OSBA member magazine as well as in the NASRO School Safety Log Blog newsletter. We also started seeing school districts moving ahead of the FASTER program all on their own. One Ohio district contacted us and purchased $5,000 worth of emergency trauma kits so they would have a “facility kit” for every building in their district. Still other districts who have been protecting student with firearms for 3 years began working together with local law enforcement and emergency medical staff and started looking for combined training as a group specifically for their own district. This localized training quickly coalesced into what is now a third level of training which the FASTER program will provide. This new training will provide active killer/mindset and emergency medical training to all other teachers, staff and local emergency personnel in districts which have armed staff. The training will then incorporate all the persons who will be present during an emergency into the learning scenarios and force-on-force activities.

During July, we were seeing sometime 2-3 districts a week seeking training and assistance on how to authorize staff to be armed in their schools. Many of those districts have since made the decision to authorize staff to carry firearms. We expect several more districts to come on line soon as we will be in front of multiple schools boards who have requested our input in making their schools safer. The FASTER program attended the Ohio Tactical Officers Association training conference and was covered by at least 3 major market TV news stories. Plans are also being finalized for the FASTER program to attend the National School Boards Association’s national conference and trade show next spring in Boston Massachusetts.

At this point, it is anyone’s guess what 2016 will hold for this leading edge program but we need your help. First we need funding. If you or a business you know of would like to fund any portion, large or small of this program, please contact us via the http://www.FASTERSavesLives.org website. The past three years have all been funded by private individual donations, but that alone will not support this program going forward.

If your school has staff who want to be considered for this training program, use the ‘Apply for FREE Training’ link on the website. If you have questions or concerns on how to implement armed staff in your district and would like to discuss or have us present to your school board, contact us, we will travel anywhere to provide information and assistance. Making Ohio schools safer should not be controversial. We are here to help administrators understand violence and be better prepared to prevent it when possible, and limit the loss of innocent lives when it happens.