MARCH 9, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
Arming teachers might not
be as simple as it’s being sold
Gabliks likened a school campus to what a law
enforcement offi cer would encounter on a plane
with a hijacker.
“It’s not just about the perpetrator. It’s about
a dynamic situation that has many variables: time
of day, location, innocent bystanders, potentially
other perpetrators, what is behind or next to the
perpetrator, if I shoot my weapon where will the
bullet go,” Gabliks said.
Gabliks stressed that DPSST provides the
training required by state and federal laws only
to public and private safety organizations. If a
mandate were to come from the Oregon Legisla-
ture to begin arming teachers, it may not require
DPSST training or its equivalents, or school staff
could receive training at private ranges without
any sort of public agency vetting.
“A school teacher with a gun (legally) would
have no more rights or protections given to them
than any other armed citizen,” Gabliks said.
Still, there are many other considerations and
questions that would have to be answered, he
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
In the wake of a shooting at a Florida high
school that left 17 people dead last month, one of
the most talked about responses has been arming
school staff to deter such violence.
While the presence of more weapons might
give those looking to shoot up a school more
pause, there is a vast gulf between handing a
teacher a gun and learning how to use it to con-
front an active shooter.
In an email interview with Eriks Gabliks, di-
rector of the Oregon Department of Public Safe-
ty Standards and Training (DPSST), Keizertimes
asked what types of training current law enforce-
ment offi cers receive for such scenarios to get a
better understanding of what an armed teacher
would need to do to prepare to confront active
shooters. DPSST provides certifi cation and train-
ing for all law enforcement offi cers, from guards
at jails to Oregon State Police. Gabliks is also part
of the Oregon School Safety Task Force.
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File
added. If teachers were to begin packing heat, the called a high risk vehicle stop. Making the vehicle
district’s insurance company would likely have to stop follows a specifi c procedure but to give new
increase coverage and premiums. Determining offi cers complex problem solving opportunities
how weapons would be stored on the campus we add things such as a school bus coming down
would be another concern.
the street, people on a sidewalk or sitting on a
“Off the top of my head, here are some things bench who walk up to the area and start record-
to consider: the school teacher that is armed is ing the incident on their phone, and other vari-
overpowered by an angry parent
ables. We don’t specifi cally focus
or student and now has a fi rearm;
on active shooter in basic but we
the weapon is taken from a desk “A school teacher do allocate a lot of our regional
drawer and used for unlawful
training effort to this important
purposes; the teacher uses the ... would have no
topic,” Gabliks said.
weapon and shoots an innocent
Generous support by Or-
bystander, a student in crisis, a more rights or
egon’s elected offi cials has en-
fi rst responder or a fellow em- protections given sured that the training facility the
ployee,” Gabliks said.
agency has is top-notch. Gabliks
said DPSST has received visitors
At DPSST, instructors work to them than
from almost every state in the na-
with the Department of Home-
tion and six other countries who
land Security’s model for best any other armed
hope to model their facilities on
practices and coordinate with
Oregon’s. Active shooter classes
state and local agencies to make citizen.”
take place in real venues, like
sure everyone is on the same
— Eriks Gabliks schools and offi ce complexes,
page. Additionally DPSST fol-
DPSST director
that offi cers might be called to
lows the work of national or-
for service.
ganizations and culls from the
Emotional survival is also a component of
insight produced in trade journals, conferences,
webinars and other resources to create its re- what is taught at DPSST. Confrontations with
an active shooter on a school campus could rap-
sponse plans.
“We need to keep our staff up to date so they idly take turns no one predicted in the chaos
keep the curriculum we use and the training we that ensues. Aside from the stress of the moment,
offer current and relevant,” Gabliks said. After DPSST is working to create programs that pre-
earning initial certifi cations, offi cers are required pare and help offi cers recover from the at times
to complete a certain amount of continued horrifi c nature of their jobs.
Gabliks said fi ve offi cers in the past three years
training hours each year.
Training for new police offi cers takes 16 have died by suicide in part because of trauma
weeks and takes place in the classroom and from their job. To help combat the issue, Oregon
through hands-on environments. About half of is taking a page from fi refi ghters and the military,
the training takes place in a classroom, but it both of which have developed programs gener-
only begins once recruits have passed through ally called stress fi rst aid.
“This program has been well received and we
rigorous background checks and physical and
psychological screenings – none of which are offer it to all newly promoted supervisors and
managers in their two week training program at
required for teaching.
Once recruits are attending the academy, ro- the Academy. We are expanding it now into the
leplaying becomes a major component of how basic police course. The concept is that if you co-
worker doesn’t seem to be themselves ask if they
they learn.
“One scenario we use involves making what is are okay,” Gabliks said.