SIDNEY -- Tuesday evening was the first gun training class for teachers, bus drivers and staff in Shelby County offered by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
Although the teachers and staff members hope to not have to use the training, sheriff's deputies who are training them say they will be better prepared to protect their students in case of an emergency.
Tuesday's class included about 30 people, but more than 60 people signed up. Sheriff John Lenhart said because of the interest, they had to split the classes up.
The training comes as a response to the recent school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 20 students dead.
"There's nobody excited about having guns in school. Please, this is last resort stuff, I get that, but what other alternatives do we have," said Sheriff Lenhart.
The first class of educators will go through 16 hours of defensive training, 12 in the classroom, four at the Sheriff's Office gun range. The training also includes emergency first response.
"I like the idea that it's not just gun training it's more like some of the first aid, the tactics behind it. That's what I'm looking to get out of it," said Joe Spangler, a computer information technology teacher at Sidney High School.
The participants are from three Shelby County school districts and will be a part of armed response teams for their schools.
"The Sidney City School Board is not considering having teachers walk throughout the buildings with handguns but to be able to access handguns in an emergency," said John Scheu, Sidney Superintendent.
The guns will be locked up throughout the school.
Many people who live in Shelby County love the idea.
"Security in our schools is really important," said Larry Adams of Sidney. "I have grandchildren in the school system and I want them to be safe just in case there is a shooting.
The training is being paid for through a federal grant given to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Lenhart says depending on how the first class goes, they'll train more.
"We'll train as many as we can, as long as the Superintendents and school boards allow us," he said.
"If you look at the recent shootings, I'm not sure if this would have save everybody, I'm not sure what you can do, but if you can save one then you should do that," said Spangler.
The plan is to have the guns in Shelby County schools by the beginning of 2013-2014 school year.
Although the teachers and staff members hope to not have to use the training, sheriff's deputies who are training them say they will be better prepared to protect their students in case of an emergency.
Tuesday's class included about 30 people, but more than 60 people signed up. Sheriff John Lenhart said because of the interest, they had to split the classes up.
The training comes as a response to the recent school massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 20 students dead.
"There's nobody excited about having guns in school. Please, this is last resort stuff, I get that, but what other alternatives do we have," said Sheriff Lenhart.
The first class of educators will go through 16 hours of defensive training, 12 in the classroom, four at the Sheriff's Office gun range. The training also includes emergency first response.
"I like the idea that it's not just gun training it's more like some of the first aid, the tactics behind it. That's what I'm looking to get out of it," said Joe Spangler, a computer information technology teacher at Sidney High School.
The participants are from three Shelby County school districts and will be a part of armed response teams for their schools.
"The Sidney City School Board is not considering having teachers walk throughout the buildings with handguns but to be able to access handguns in an emergency," said John Scheu, Sidney Superintendent.
The guns will be locked up throughout the school.
Many people who live in Shelby County love the idea.
"Security in our schools is really important," said Larry Adams of Sidney. "I have grandchildren in the school system and I want them to be safe just in case there is a shooting.
The training is being paid for through a federal grant given to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Lenhart says depending on how the first class goes, they'll train more.
"We'll train as many as we can, as long as the Superintendents and school boards allow us," he said.
"If you look at the recent shootings, I'm not sure if this would have save everybody, I'm not sure what you can do, but if you can save one then you should do that," said Spangler.
The plan is to have the guns in Shelby County schools by the beginning of 2013-2014 school year.