No matter the reason, when the topic of making schools safer is brought up, no one wants the obvious. Will Hoffman, Madison County Schools Superintendent, and Buddy Harwood, Sheriff of North Carolina, understand this and are working towards safety measures. Six schools in the district will be equipped with an AR-15, extra magazines, as well as breaching tools.
Schools in Madison County North Carolina receive AR-15s for defense
Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwood made the decision to arm all schools in the county’s school districts. Harwood believes that Uvalde’s tragic response was the result of poor decision-making and inadequate training. Harwood has advocated for increased security in the school system.
Will Hoffman, Madison County Schools Superintendent, has backed the plan. It will be implemented in all six schools, including Madison Middle School, Madison High School, Madison Early College High, Hot Springs Elementary, Mars Hill Elementary and Madison Middle.
All six schools in the district will be equipped with a safe that contains a rifle and other tools starting in the next school year. According to reports, the rifles will be handled only by school resource officers who are currently in training.
CBS News reports that Harwood stated that a safe would also be kept in each school, along with the rifle. Safes will also contain additional magazines containing ammo and breach tools. Harwood’s staff met with first responders, law enforcement and security officers.
Harwood says that the breaching tools are used to reduce response time if a suspect barsricades a door.
DailyCaller reports that Harper said the breaching tools would have been used if someone tried to barricade a room during a shooting. He explained that they won’t need to wait for the fire department to arrive. We’ll have the tools to break through that door if necessary. I don’t want to have to run back to the car to grab an AR. That would be a waste of time. Although we may never need it, I want my guys as prepared as possible.
Safety precautions
Some feel that this will only make children more vulnerable. They fear that firearms in schools will create dangerous situations and lead to firearm incidents. The school system is taking steps in order to prevent such incidents.
USA Today reports that Harwood, a part of the Safe School Initiative of the Sheriff’s Office, told USA TODAY that there are guidelines and protocols in place to prevent anyone accessing the safe or guns other than school resource officers who have received hours of weapons and tactical instruction.
Harwood also stated to USA Today that the safes were heavy-duty and kept in unrevealed locations, making them inaccessible for students. They will also be monitored 24 hours a day and have “very limited” access.
Harwood stated in an email that “these safes cannot be easily manipulated” and would not be able be moved. The password will only be available to Madison County Sheriff’s Office officers.
Harwood and his staff also participated in training this summer with Mars Hill University’s director for safety and security, law enforcement officials, first responders, and other law enforcement officials.
The Sheriff’s Office and the school system have plans to conduct a live scenario on August 17. All teachers will be included in the scenario, which will simulate a high-impact emergency that requires an immediate response.
Increase Security Protocols Across the Board
Superintendent Hoffman stated that the school system will also be implementing other safety initiatives in 2022-23. Each school will have SROs (school resource officers), and a safety liaison as part of the Safe School Initiative. All six schools will also have school counselors.
Each school will also have a panic button system, which reports to a monitoring centre and the Sheriff’s Office. The school system will continue to work with the Department of Public Safety in order to conduct safety inspections at each school.
Plans exist to work with parents and students to address internet safety.
Citizen Times reports that MCS will work with the FBI in Asheville to educate middle school and high school students, their parents/guardians, and about internet safety, including’sextortion’ and online enticement.
Some are taking gun control seriously, even though some use tragedies such as Uvalde to advance their agenda. There are good solutions, despite what some may believe.
This is the way.
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Personal Defense World published the article Madison County Schools in North Carolina Boost Security With AR-15s.
