New reports and court rulings support the actions that many schools are taking to keep students safe in the likely event that law enforcement is still minutes away — critical minutes when mass shooters inflict the greatest harm.

We do know, based on past school massacre incidents, that teachers and other staff are willing to put their bodies between bullets and children. Many have died as heroes to save children. Shouldn’t they also have the option to protect children, and live? From the experience of FASTER Saves Lives in Ohio, and FASTER Colorado, we know that when schools opt for armed staff policies, there is no shortage of school staff members who volunteer to be armed on campus and undergo rigorous training. FASTER stands for Faculty / Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response.These training standards meet or exceed the requirements of relevant law enforcement qualifications in their respective states.