We lock our doors. We install cameras. We create safety plans. But what happens when seconds matter - and the professionals are still minutes away?
It’s time for a new standard. It’s time for FASTER Saves Lives.
What Is FASTER Saves Lives?
FASTER (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response) is a nationally respected training program that equips school staff—teachers, administrators, and security personnel - with tactical, medical, and psychological response tools for active shooter and trauma scenarios. It was designed by law enforcement, tactical medics, and school safety experts to bridge the critical gap between the start of violence and the arrival of first responders.
And now, this life-saving program is available right here in Arizona.
Who Can Receive FASTER Training in Arizona?
Any educational institution or faith-based organization in Arizona can receive FASTER training:
- Microschools
- Private schools
- Public schools and districts
- Charter schools
- Homeschool co-ops
- Churches and places of worship
Regardless of size or structure, if your community cares for children or vulnerable members—it qualifies.
It’s Not Just About Firearms - It’s About Saving Lives
One of the biggest misconceptions about FASTER is that it’s only about arming teachers. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
FASTER training includes:
- Tactical trauma care (stopping bleeding, airway management, emergency triage)
- Crisis communication
- Response timing, situational control, and lockdown reinforcement
- Active threat neutralization (for districts that allow armed staff)
- Legal, ethical, and psychological preparedness for high-stress emergencies
This training prepares teachers to do what they are already willing to do—protect and care for their students - but with the tools and confidence to do it effectively under unimaginable pressure.
Why Teachers Must Be Trained
In every school shooting, one thing is always true: teachers are already inside.
Law enforcement is not. Their average response time can be 8 - 10 minutes or longer. Once on site, they must assess the threat, organize a response team, and establish safe entry. Meanwhile, how much devastation has already occurred?
And EMS? They’re waiting. Legally, emergency medical personnel cannot access the injured until the scene has been secured by law enforcement. Students have bled out in classrooms, waiting for the “all clear” that comes far too late.
FASTER-trained staff are already there, already engaged, already ready. Teachers are the first line of defense - whether they’re trained or not. The difference is: FASTER makes them ready to act and able to save lives.
Duty of Care - The Teacher’s Burden
Here’s a sobering truth: Law enforcement has no legal duty to protect individual citizens in the moment. But teachers do. Legally, ethically, and morally, educators carry the duty of care for every student under their supervision.
They are responsible for those lives. And they should be given the training and tools that match that level of responsibility.
What Schools Are Saying
Numerous private schools and public districts in Arizona have already brought in FASTER training. While we cannot disclose their names due to confidentiality and safety agreements, we can tell you this: the feedback is overwhelmingly positive.
Teachers walk away saying:
“I finally feel prepared to protect my students.”
“I didn’t know how much I didn’t know - until now.”
“This training changed the way I view safety, and it gave me hope.”
And leadership teams consistently report that FASTER is one of the most valuable investments they’ve made for student safety.
The Statistics Speak for Themselves
- According to FBI data, 69% of active shooter incidents in schools end before law enforcement arrives.
- The average school shooting lasts under 5 minutes - but EMS response can be over 12 minutes delayed due to threat clearance protocols.
- In trauma situations, a victim can bleed out in under 3 minutes. Immediate care is the only chance at survival.
FASTER-trained teachers are equipped to stop the bleed, stop the threat, and stop the loss.
This Must Become the Norm
We cannot keep outsourcing school safety to people who aren’t there when the violence begins. We need to empower the adults who are- and that means training them to respond with purpose, skill, and speed.
FASTER Saves Lives must become the accepted standard in Arizona’s educational landscape. It should not be controversial to want our teachers to have the tools they need to fulfill their duty of care. It should be common sense.
Parents trust educators with their children’s lives. FASTER ensures that trust is backed by training.
Ready to Take Action?
If you are a school leader, teacher, church director, or parent who wants to bring
FASTER training to your community, reach out today. Lives depend on it.
FASTER Saves Lives - because seconds matter, and our children are worth every one of them.