New armor for Orange County school resource officers

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Orange County school resource officers are going to be getting new helmets and body armor this year that could help them save lives in an active shooter situation.

Orange County handed the sheriff's office $168,000 for the heavy-duty body armor. Deputies say will help their school resource officers save lives.

“If our deputies have the right equipment they're going to be able to go and be able to protect the kids better,” said Nancy Brown, who works for the Sheriff’s Office.

The helmet is made of Kevlar; the armor plates are solid steel. Brown said the gear will give them more confidence when dealing with an active shooter or a terror attack.

“We don't want to have a school shooting here, nobody does. In the event that it happens we want to be prepared,” she said.

Rebecca Oliver, whose children attend elementary school, said it's a sign of the times. “You want to keep your kids safe, to make sure they're doing everything they can do, at the same time, the idea of seeing these armed, armored officers walking around, you feel like it's going to create a scary environment.”

The helmet and vest add another 30 pounds to what the school resource officer is already wearing. They say that's equivalent to what a firefighter wears when they're on duty.