 Governor DeWine Announces School Safety Curriculum for Staff
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced that the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) has finalized state training requirements for school staff members authorized by their districts to be armed on school grounds.
The OSSC’s Armed School Staff Essential Training (ASSET) Curriculum was developed to meet the requirements outlined in House Bill 99 which was sponsored by Representative Tom Hall (R-Madison Township) and Senator Frank Hoagland (R-Mingo Junction) and signed by Governor DeWine in June. The legislation permits Ohio school boards and governing bodies to opt to arm specific staff members who complete training on the curriculum developed by OSSC.
“We have an obligation to do everything we can to prevent violence and avoid tragedies in our schools,” said Governor DeWine. “For districts that choose to arm a school staff member, this training will ensure that those individuals are thoroughly prepared to respond to emergencies specific to a school environment.”
At Governor DeWine’s direction, the new ASSET curriculum includes 24 hours of initial training and eight hours of annual recertification training, the maximum number of hours permitted by law. The curriculum defines the subjects that instructors must cover, the amount of time spent of each topic, and the learning objectives that those taking the training must meet.
Both the initial and recertification training include:
- scenario-based training
- instruction on mitigation techniques
- de-escalation techniques
- tactics of responding to critical incidents
- neutralization of potential threats and active shooters
- tactical live firearm training
Other modules include accountability, reunification, psychology of critical incidents, crisis intervention, trauma and first aid care, history/pattern of school shootings, and realistic urban training. Development of additional curriculum is underway for districts that choose to require more training than what is mandated by the state.
Mobile training officers with OSSC’s Safety and Crisis Division will begin offering the ASSET training in 2023, but schools also have the option to select an alternate training provider whose training courses meet the requirements of the new OSSC curriculum. Schools can find more information on how to sign up for state training or training offered by an alternate entity ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov.
The option to arm trained staff members in schools is a school safety measure that builds on many other initiatives developed by the DeWine-Husted Administration to protect school students and staff. In 2019, Governor DeWine developed the Ohio School Safety Center within the Ohio Department of Public Safety to be a comprehensive, statewide office focused exclusively on enhancing the safety of Ohio schools. In addition to maintaining and promoting the Safer Ohio School Tip Line, the center assists schools and first responders in preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence including self-harm. Staff also proactively scan social media and websites to identify threats against schools. Governor DeWine has also worked to protect Ohio schools through violent crime reduction strategies and enhanced mental health services.
Find out more by visiting the OSSC website, here.
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