DENNISON (Tusco TV) - Claymont school leaders are adding another line of defense to protect students and staff from armed intruders.

The school board voted 3-2 Monday to create an employee response team authorized to carry concealed weapons on school grounds and inside district buildings. Superintendent Brian Rentsch says the team would be made up of vetted volunteers who would undergo extensive weapons handling and scenario-based training.  

"A volunteer to participate in the program must have a concealed carry license. They also must pass some rigorous training through the FASTER program along with working with the sheriff’s department. The training would be also on triage and also on scenarios. The sheriff’s department works with us in regard to continual scenario training, recertification of qualification," he explains.

Rentsch says the timeline depends on the training schedule, although he says the team probably won’t be in place until sometime next school year.  

"They mainly occur in the spring and summer months before anyone can get the additional training to go through and then be certified and then have a final checkoff by our sheriff’s department," he says.

The two no votes came from Collin Fawcett and Jim Shamel who said they were in favor of arming staff but thought they should have sought input from the community before making a decision.  

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