Countering Critics of School Active Shooter Training

Strategos’ Mark Warren responds to those who say security training isn’t worth it.

As school active shooter training has grown in prominence, critics have begun raising their voices. They’re concerned about causing unnecessary anxiety – even trauma. Others object to heavy-handed tactics. And a few say the training doesn’t work.

School’s been back in session for awhile now, but in the run-up to a new year there were a number of criticisms made of school active shooter training. These include:

• Students, even young children, are included in the training and they are traumatized as a result.
• Some drills are heavy handed: Infamously, in Indiana, teachers were reportedly shot with plastic pellets in a mock execution that left welts and drew blood. Beyond this, some teachers complain of being traumatized.
• A final complaint, and perhaps the toughest, is there is no evidence the drills are effective.

With lives at stake, Strategos VP Mark Warren responds to these criticisms and shares how training saves lives.

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ABOUT MARK WARREN

Mark Warren is executive vice president of Strategos International. He is a former law enforcement officer in multiple jurisdictions including the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, where he finished his career with the rank of sergeant. Warren also served as an undercover officer for the Jackson County Drug Task Force. Before joining civilian law enforcement, he served in the  U.S. Army as a military police officer. He has trained thousands of students through Strategos, the Surefire Institute and the Western Missouri Public Safety Institute.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.