It is an unfortunate truth that teachers in Utah may one day be in a position to save their students’ lives. That is why the Utah County Sheriff’s Office began the Teachers Academy five years ago and why approximately 300 people already have graduated from the training. A new 20-hour course is set to begin in April and registration is now open.

The course, which begins April 29 and runs weekly through June 1, is designed for school personnel and covers critical skills needed in an active-shooter or other dangerous situation. Participants will learn about emergency medical techniques, weapons familiarization, self-defense, tactical de-escalation and mindfulness, and participate in training that simulates an active-shooter scenario. Shooting skills also will be taught during a live-fire range day and participants will have the opportunity to receive their Utah Concealed Carry certification.

“The reality is we know that some teachers are carrying firearms in schools. At the end of the day, how can you blame them? We see continual headlines of mass killing events happening in our country and world, with many of these events happening in schools,” Sheriff Mike Smith said. “Teachers are concerned for their safety and the safety of their students. With the reality of some teachers carrying firearms in schools, I believe it is negligent on the part of our schools and school districts to not formally address this issue. But they have not.”

Smith said school districts have had a “don’t ask, don’t tell” unwritten policy on teachers carrying firearms in schools. “There is no training, policies or procedures offered to teachers on how to safely carry a firearm and react in the event they must defend their lives or the lives of their students,” he said.

The Teachers Academy is designed to address these issues. During the academy, teachers are taught to develop a plan to follow that will help them and their students survive these tragic events. “We teach many skills that have nothing to do with firearms. But if you are going to carry a firearm in school, you should receive training specific to firearms, and we teach that,” Smith said.

Since the Teachers Academy was first started in 2019, several other public safety departments have reached out to Smith to inquire about the training as they look to start their own. “We have had other departments also send their officers and deputies to the academy as they put their programs together,” he said.

In addition to teachers being trained, other safety measures may be put in place in the state. There are two bills that address the issue of school safety that were passed in this year’s legislative session. House Bill 119, School Employee Firearm Possession Amendments, seeks to “create the Educator-Protector Program to incentivize school teachers to responsibly secure or carry a firearm on school grounds.” This program would include training program opportunities such as the Teachers Academy, according to Smith.

Additionally, H.B. 84, School Safety Amendments, is a large and comprehensive school safety bill covering many aspects of providing a safer school environment from active shooter events.

Both bills await the governor’s signature.

School teachers or other school personnel who are interested in participating in this spring’s Teachers Academy can go to sheriff.utahcounty.gov for the application and instructions. The Sheriff’s Office typically holds Teachers Academy courses twice yearly.

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