School Teachers And Administrators Take Concealed Carry Courses In Utah

Training isn’t everything. The first step is to be legally allowed to carry on school property.

In Utah, it is legal for a concealed carry license holder to carry their firearm inside a public school, unless that school doesn’t allow such a thing. I’m no legal expert, but it seems that this would include faculty and staff as well.

As a permit holder, exactly, where can I carry or not carry a handgun?

The concealed firearm permit allows an individual to carry a firearm fully loaded and concealed. The permit also allows an individual to carry a firearm into public schools. Permit holders can not carry a firearm into federal or state restricted areas i.e. any airport secured area, federal facilities, courts, correctional & mental health facilities, law enforcement secured areas, a house of worship or private residence where notice given and/or posted, any secured area in which firearms are prohibited and notice posted, or otherwise prohibited by state of federal law.

A group of detectives have offered a free concealed carry class to teachers and administrators, allowing them the step necessary to receiving their permits and to ask any questions that they may have.

“If teachers are willing to arm themselves, protect others, we`re happy to provide that,” Orem Detective Jared Goulding said.

The teachers who attended the class had their own questions and motivations.

“I`m doing it because there`s guns all around, like we live in a hunting state, and there`s safety issues,” junior high school teacher Merinda Davis said.  “And I`d like to be educated knowing what our rights and responsibilities are.”

It’s nice to see that so many educators are taking the time to learn about firearm, learn about the laws, and take the initiative to go through the training to obtain their permits.

We have seen this happen all across the country after mass shootings, and we hope that even when disaster doesn’t strike, people are still actively going after these permits and also attempting to get policies changed.