Students, teachers return to class with armed response team in Riverside

RIVERSIDE — After a summer of training the Mad River Local Schools armed response team is ready as students begin filling the halls once more.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00 p.m., over 20 trained staff members have access to guns in case of an emergency inside Mad River Local Schools.

“We’ve had our armed response team since 2017 there was a little pause until House Bill 99 was passed and we reinstated our team, but we do a ton of training,” Chad Wyen, Mad River Local Schools Superintendent said.

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The team goes through intensive training to be a part of the armed response team, like training conducted at the Ohio School Safety Center in Columbus.

They undergo 24 hours of initial training and then each year go through an additional 8 hours of annual training.

“We train with our first responders, and then we also shoot at the range monthly. So you know, our team has a high level of experience with firearms, and I think that’s the important part about having a response team is that you have that training put into place,” Wyen said.

The guns are stored in safe, strategic locations around the school building so more than 20 members of the team can access them quickly if something happens.

It’s a controversial topic among the district, and many people have opinions on the armed response team.

“I really don’t think that’s their position. They’re trained to educate children. I don’t think they should carry weapons, but I do think the school system should provide protection,” Darryl Reid, a grandparent living in Huber Heights said.

“I know some people may agree or disagree, but at the end of the day, it’s my responsibility to protect our students and matter to local schools,” Wyen said. “And unfortunately, there’s no way our first responders can get here quick enough to stop an active shooter, and that’s why we have a response team.”

The safety of the students is a responsibility that Wyen and his staff take very seriously.

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