School guardians training to high standards in Volusia County

Volusia County’s first school guardians have endured a long week of training with several more ahead of them.

On Thursday, the guardians spent yet another morning on the Sheriff’s Office firing range running through the same drills as the police academy on the next range over, but the same scores that would pass the cadets would be a failing grade for the new guardians.

"They're going to have an 85% standard they're held to here where the academy is an 80% standard on the same course of fire,” said Range Master Randy Post.

The trainees said the gun training is just part of the ringer they’re running through. Psych evaluations, lie detectors tests, classroom work, paper work, and little wiggle room to fail.

The school guardians will mostly cover Volusia County’s elementary schools under the new state rules requiring armed security in every school. As district officials said last month, the guardians essentially are police without the power to arrest.

Though they will be carrying a fire arm in the schools; something the district and Sheriff’s Office aren’t taking lightly.

Thus the heavy training the new hires are currently undergoing. Some of whom said Thursday that it was the toughest training of their careers, and that’s saying something.

The group are mostly retirees with some younger and middle aged guys mixed in, but all have extensive law enforcement or military experience. Some boast time in the Marines, Daytona Police Department, Special Forces, even previous work as prison guards.