Tasked by House Bill 1087 – the Sentinel bill – to write rules for school districts to follow if they wish to arm employees, the Law Enforcement Training Commission shared the proposed guidelines for the first time on Wednesday (July 17).
Under the law any school board choosing to arm an employee must agree to pay to have that individual trained in the use of firearms. A Sentinel would have to complete a basic, 80-hour training course that includes the following subject areas:
- Firearms proficiency;
- Use of force;
- Legal aspects;
- Weapons retention;
- Weapons storage;
- Identifying protocol for identifying sentinel; and
- First aid.
ASBSD Executive Director Dr. Wade Pogany testified before the Commission today (July 18) and offered wording suggestions, but said he feels the rules are clearly written and meet the letter of the law.
“We will see if any school boards decide to actually put a Sentinel in place,” Pogany said. “If they do, the training is designed and ready for them.”
Read the proposed rules here.
The Law Enforcement Training Commission will take additional public comment on the proposed rules before final approval. The public is invited to offer comment on the rules prior to August 2.
For updates on the Sentinel rules, check the ASBSD blog.