In a common sense move, Coloradans for Civil Liberties, in conjunction with the Colorado-based Independence Institute, is bringing advanced gun training to teachers, principals, and other school staff in an effort to offer more security in Colorado’s schools. This is especially welcome news in the state’s rural communities, where it can take law enforcement 30 minutes – or more – to respond to an emergency.

The naysayers, of course, don’t believe that teachers can be adequately trained in advanced firearms tactics in three days. A quick look at the training agenda, however, shows the course to be incredibly thorough in training users to handle firearms in close-quarters situations. The course goes even further than that, training attendees on how to render medical assistance.

The course is run by trainers with police, SWAT and federal law enforcement backgrounds and leads participants through move-and-shoot drills, hand-to-hand fighting and advanced medical triage of gunshot wounds.

Twenty-five Colorado school districts currently designate staff members as security officers who are authorized to carry concealed weapons. Again, this is mostly in the rural parts of the state, where long police response times to emergencies are an overriding concern.

Bennett School District, which is roughly 30 miles east of Denver, is one school system that has already armed staff members. Keith Yaich, the district’s CEO, reports that parents appreciate having that extra layer of security for their children, saying, “We are aware of all the school shootings going on, and we didn’t want that to happen here in Bennett.”

The Coloradans for Civil Liberties trainings are set to begin this summer.