FasterSavesLives.org: Reflecting on Tuesday’s murders at Robb Elementary School

How many more kids must die before we learn?

Once again we find our nation devastated by the loss of too many innocent lives. Another school killing. Innocent children slaughtered. Families destroyed. Brave teachers facing a murderous individual unarmed. How many times must this replay before those in charge listen to our nation’s experts and take concrete steps to save kid’s lives rather simply giving lip service to nonsense that plays well in the media?

Police cannot stop school killers in time. It’s not their job. Schools have custody, and a duty to protect the kids in their care, not the police. We certainly need the police, and they will get there as fast as they can, but it won’t be in time. We saw just that in Robb Elementary School yesterday, and too many other times before.

In the past 16 hours, we have talked to many school staff in Ohio, Texas and beyond. They are sad, frustrated, broken, and angry. They envision their own schools being targeted. They weep for those lost because it is personal to them. They are frustrated at school boards and others that won’t educate themselves on true security. The only way you get dozens killed and injured is when your only plan is to wait on outside help.

The solutions are here, we just need schools and politicians to prioritize and implement. Nearly 10 years ago our foundation partnered with topic experts like John Benner at Tactical Defense Institute, Andrew Blubaugh at APEX Training, Dr. Brian Springer Wright State Division of Tactical Medicine and Lt. Col. Dave Grossman at the Grossman academy. Experts who had previously spent decades studying active killer events in and out of schools. Experts who had already trained thousands of our nation’s elite law enforcement and military personnel on how to handle these events ONCE THEY ARRIVE.

Together, we built the FASTER Saves Lives program to give schools the opportunity to save lives while waiting on the professionals to arrive. In the 10 years since Sandy Hook Elementary, we have trained nearly 3,000 school staff in 300 districts across 20 states and have saved multiple lives. Parents need to insist school boards have real security. They need multiple overlapping layers of protection against violence, just like they have for fire. They need people trained in expedient trauma medical care and they need a few staff members properly trained and armed to stop the killer as quickly as possible. Anything less is not acceptable in today’s world.

We know there are dedicated, determined and devoted people inside every school building in these United States. It is time schools and communities give them the tools and training needed to save lives in the future. It is time for our school staff to live for our kids, not die for them.