School Resource Officers were stationed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School the day of the horrific mass shooting.
Four in Your Corner sat down with a local School Resource Officer to see what challenges they face and what changes they're making in light of the massacre.
"Every day, I get up and put on my vest and my badge," Cpl. Joseph Eilerman said. "It's an honor and a priviledge."
Cpl. Joseph Eilerman works in the Juvenile Operations Unit with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. He was a School Resource Officer for years and now oversees them. He spends his days in and out of Charlotte County Public Schools.
"Protecting our most precious resource, our children," Cpl. Eilerman said.
He said emergency situations like what happened in Parkland ar something they plan for, but always hope never happens.
"We're roaming the hallways, making sure we don't recognize anybody that shouldn't be there. Also doing perimeter checks to make sure there's nobody hanging out just outside the school that would pose a risk to students or staff," Cpl. Eilerman said.
Currently, school staff run drills with students so they know what to do if what happened in Parkland were to happen in Charlotte County.
"The schools normally handle the code red drills, and the SROs are on campus and will help advise for those," Cpl. Eilerman said.
But after the horrific school shooting, he said starting next year, the SROs will teach what to do in helping prepare kids.
"Heaven forbid this ever happens here," Cpl. Eilerman said.
The teachings recommend if you're in the situation, you run. If you can't, you hide. And last resort, you fight.
"From being in the schools and hearing about it, it's heartbreaking and tragic," Cpl. Eilerman said. "It's something that I don't think will ever make sense."
Cpl. Eilerman said the School Resource Officers are also trained in what he calls mental health first aid for students to help identify any problems and get students the resources they need.
