Coshocton County Sheriffs Office

News Release
September 9, 2016
In cooperation with the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office, The Boards of Education at
Coshocton City Schools, The Coshocton County Career Center, and the River View Local
Schools will be taking the necessary steps to pass resolutions and implement policies for
the arming of specially trained staff members in their buildings. All three Districts have
been working with the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office since last winter researching
and exploring the idea as well as training selected employees to be potential candidates.
Each District selected a group of staff members to participate in exploring the options and
ideas of being armed in school. Those candidates that chose voluntarily to participate
were then required to become legally licensed to carry a fire arm through the traditional
conceal and carry classes. The class was given by the Valkyrie Defense Group with the
specific purpose and idea that the individuals participating would be potentially carrying
in a school setting. The group of candidates then participated in the FASTER
(Faculty/Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response) training designed
specifically for the school setting. At the end of these trainings, all participants were
required to pass a qualification test. There will be mandatory, ongoing training
throughout each year that will be done through the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office in
order for the individuals to be permitted to carry a firearm in the school.
The training these school staff members have received and will be required to maintain is
more specialized to this particular environment and circumstance than the average school
resource officer would receive. The ongoing training will be provided by the Sheriffs
Office Special Response Team and will not only revolve around firearms but the tactics
that are needed to approach an Active Shooter safely and efficiently.
The identities of the armed staff members will remain confidential as they will be part of
the Schools' Safety Plans which are filed with Local and State law enforcement and the
Ohio Attorney General. These plans will also include protocol and guidelines required for
the armed staff to follow to maintain the responsibility. This is strictly a volunteer
responsibility and no additional stipends or salaries will be provided to the participants.

This program is not intended to replace Law Enforcement, but to allow teachers,
administrators, and other personnel on-site to stop the violence rapidly and render
medical aid immediately.
"This decision was not made lightly and it reflects the grave and serious change in
today's standards of safety in our schools. We will always be committed to the safety of
our children and we are prepared to take whatever needed measures we must to protect
them. We are thankful that we have dedicated and responsible individuals that are willing
to take on such an awesome responsibility for the safety of our children." Mr. Summers,
Superintendent of RVLSD
Our number one priority is student safety, and we must be prepared to respond
immediately to active shooter situations. The extensive and on-going training will ensure
that we are ready for any such emergency, and we will not have to wait for additional
first responders in the event of a critical situation. It is unfortunate that we have to
consider these types of options to protect our students and staff, but the reality is that we
must be prepared. I appreciate the cooperation of the Sheriffs Office to make sure that
we are prepared for this responsibility. David Hire, Superintendent, Coshocton City
Schools
With many school districts in Ohio already moving forward with arming select staff, we
felt it very important for our community that your Sheriffs Office be directly involved
from the beginning of this endeavor. We needed to ensure that the highest standard of
training and expertise be given to the participants in order to best protect our children in
the climate we now find ourselves in. I applaud our local school districts for taking a
proactive approach in this very serious decision. Timothy Rogers, Coshocton County
Sheriff