L to R, Center Grove Police Chief Ray Jackson, Greenwood Christian Academy Security Director Brian Gabel, Clark-Pleasant Police Chief Chad Pryce and Major Andy Fisher take part in an interview panel for educator firearm usage on Sept. 13. GCA will undergo a training program for staff members interested in carrying firearms in school.
Submitted photo
Greenwood Christian Academy is offering a firearm safety program that will train staff members who want to be armed in the classroom — a first for Johnson County.
The academy is using money from its $41,702 school safety grant, a matching grant it received from the Indiana Department of Education earlier this month, to fund the program. School officials will cover the cost of the training as well as the salary of Brian Gabel, GCA’s security director and school resource officer, Gabel said.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 1177 into law in May. The law cleared the way for a state-funded firearm training program for educators. Legislators gave teachers the ability to carry handguns in classrooms a decade ago, but didn’t include funding for a training program until HB 1177, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported.
“The armed educator program is something that has been evolving the past couple of years. The school felt there was a need,” Gabel said. “I am a reserve deputy. … I get my powers through the (Johnson County) sheriff’s office and they are 100% behind this. You have rapid response. Teachers are on campus and they are very familiar with the school itself, the design, the location. They can take quick action.”
The training process started with an interview panel on Sept. 13, with nine staff members taking part. The panelists were Gabel, Center Grove Police Chief Ray Jackson, Clark-Pleasant Police Chief Chad Pryce and Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Andy Fisher asked staff members questions regarding their composure and how they would react to an active threat, Fisher said.
“There were certain questions about being confronted with a situation like that and being able to stand up and provide the protection needed to children if need be and if they were willing to do that,” Fisher said.
There were also questions about firearms and if they had any previous firearms or military training, he said.
“This isn’t going to be a quick thing. We’re trying to judge one’s character, mental stability and how they handle firearms,” Fisher said.
Staff members who applied to be part of the program will now undergo firearms training similar to how police officers train for active killer events. That training will cover topics such as use-of-force scenarios, de-escalation techniques and firearm proficiency, including how to conceal and shoot a firearm, Gabel said.
The training and screening process will take about three months, after which the GCA school board will vote to approve each staff member being armed, he said.
“It’s very extensive training and at the completion of the training, staff members will have to provide written narratives reflecting on their training experiences, scenarios they encountered and will have to justify their actions to demonstrate their understanding of training and use of force,” Gabel said. “There’s also a medical letter from a physician confirming their emotional and psychological fitness to carry firearms on school property.”
Staff members who carry weapons will have to secure them at all times to prevent theft, he said.
“We do acknowledge the potential risk but we’ve invested in secure storage for the firearms,” Gabel said. “There is rigorous training for the staff to prevent those types of accidents or even theft. Not only is there a strict protocol on how to manage their firearms, but there is rigorous training and inspections by me to make sure they’re following protocol.”
GCA is the first Johnson County school to initiate firearms training for staff members. Armed staff members are hoped to both deter firearms incidents and provide a quick resolution if they do happen, Fisher said.
“I think it’s a huge deterrent,” he said. “What we see across the country is active killers prey on schools that don’t have secured facilities. Their goal is to get a high body count. You have a school that’s starting these programs, such as GCA, and they’re there to protect the kids. I see nothing but positive things as to what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to protect kids in a safe way and give (staff) the training they need to do this as opposed to just (allowing weapons for) whoever wants to carry it.”
