Buckeye Reporter

A recent report by WBNS-10TV has brought attention to a growing trend among Ohio school districts to arm teachers and staff as part of their security measures. The article, which focuses on the Benjamin Logan Local School District in rural Logan County, highlights how this district was among the first in Ohio to implement an armed response team after legislation permitted such actions in 2022.

According to the report, weapons are either kept secured in safes throughout school buildings or carried by select staff members. The aim is to be able to respond quickly to an armed intruder before law enforcement arrives. Superintendent John Scheu explained, “When we learned it could take 10 to 15 minutes for deputies to get here, we knew we needed to have an immediate response."

Currently, Benjamin Logan schools employ three armed school resource officers and have trained 17 additional staff members for the armed response team. District officials believe that relying solely on officers is insufficient for effective protection. “The first person an intruder looks for is the one in uniform. This gives us backup inside the building," said Scheu.

Statewide data show that more than 90 out of over 600 school districts in Ohio now have armed staff, up from just 22 previously.

Dean Rieck, executive director of Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA), commented on this development: "I'm glad more school districts have decided to train and arm staff members," Rieck said. "But the question is, why do so many decide not to? It's all about response time. If the police can get there in 15 miniutes, fine. But a lot of killing can happen while you wait. if someone can be there right when the trouble starts, isn't that better? Letting kids die to satisfy someone's politics is just stupid."

Rieck also criticized traditional emergency protocols such as "run, hide, fight." As part of BFA's educational outreach earlier this year, Ed Monk—a former law enforcement officer and expert on active-shooter events—spoke at a seminar about the need for faster intervention during attacks.

Monk emphasized that history shows attackers can inflict many casualties within seconds unless they are confronted immediately: "So what people don't want to hear is, you can't outsource this problem if you want a low victim count," he said. Monk argued that having trained individuals present and ready is essential because medical aid cannot begin until a threat has been neutralized.

An unnamed member of Benjamin Logan’s armed response team told WBNS-10TV: “We can take on the threat until law enforcement arrives.”

Joe D. "Buck" Ruth serves as website and social-media manager for Buckeye Firearms Association.