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Sheriff outlines state law requiring armed person in schools; commission funds two SROs and training support
Summary
Emery County’s sheriff told commissioners a new state law requires an armed guardian at every school; the commission approved budget support for two school resource officers and training ammunition, while the sheriff described training, anonymity and operational concerns.
At the Emery County Commission meeting the county sheriff reported on a new state law that requires an armed person in each school and described steps the county is taking to comply.
The sheriff said the county and the school district will add two school resource officers funded in part by the commission’s budget. “We will have 2 new school resource officers that will provide security and safety as well as just relationships and, partnership with the school district,” the sheriff said.
The sheriff described training and equipment requirements under the statute: a one-time $500 stipend from the state for a guardian’s weapon, 26 hours of firearms training per guardian per year, site-specific exercises and additional background and psychological evaluations. The sheriff said the state did not provide ammunition or ongoing training funds, and that the county approved ammunition funding in the sheriff’s budget to support training.
The sheriff said the statute bars principals or teachers from serving as the armed guardian in some cases and that some school employees are unwilling to take on the role. The sheriff added that guardians’ identities are not publicly disclosed because of safety and coordination issues; he described ongoing conversations about how outside law enforcement responding to a school incident could correctly identify a guardian to avoid dangerous misunderstandings.
Commissioners thanked the sheriff; no vote on the law itself was taken, but commissioners had previously approved the sheriff’s budget changes to fund additional SRO positions and ammunition training costs.
Sheriff comments noted operational and liability considerations of placing armed guardians in schools, including training needs from basic firearm familiarity to active-shooter response, medical first aid and “stop the bleed” tactics. The sheriff said the changes will relieve pressure on current staff and on the sheriff’s office by distributing responsibility across additional personnel.
The county’s approach, the sheriff said, is to provide training, background checks and limited financial support while the state retains the statutory requirement. Commissioners said they appreciate the sheriff’s work on implementation and the partnership with the school district.
