San Francisco Teacher's Union doesn't want guns on campuses

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Parkland School Shooting is re-igniting the debate over whether teachers should carry guns. The NRA and President Trump have endorsed the idea. But, the union representing San Francisco teacher is against it and experts say carrying a weapon requires training and judgment.

At least eight states allow teachers to carry guns on campus to deal with a would-be shooter. But, the teacher's union in San Francisco says no way.

RELATED: President Trump says guns only for gun-adept teachers

"As a teacher and as the president of the teacher's union, I can tell you that's a crazy idea," said San Francisco Teacher's Union President Lita Blanc.

She says it's all teachers can do to teach, keep order, and look out for the well-being of students under their care now, without the responsibility of keeping a gun close enough to reach and at the same time - keep it a safe distance from students.

"If you're going to arm educators, arm us with books, arm us with smaller class size, arm us with fully funded classrooms," Blanc added.

Then, there's the training. Cadets in California's police academies undergo three weeks of training with handguns, shotguns, and rifles -- and that's not all.

"Using the weapon is one aspect of the training, but the bigger aspect is the decision making about when to use it and how to operate in a highly stressed situation," said Captain Louie Triona, who is in charge of weapons training for the Richmond Police Department.

Nobody is saying teachers would get the same training as cops, but anyone who carries a gun regularly would need to develop and maintain a certain level of skill.

RELATED: Trump says armed teacher would have 'shot the hell' out of gunman

Tirona says when a new officer joins his department, they must undergo an additional 40 hours of firearms training. "On top of that, officers at least 10 times a year actually go to the range to train their marksmanship and gun handling skills," he said.

Tirona is not taking a position on who should be armed, but the Richmond Police Department is making a key change following the Florida shooting. Since the gunman tripped the fire alarm to get people to leave their classrooms and move into the kill zone, anytime a fire alarm is tripped in Richmond schools, police officers will accompany firefighters.

Click here for more stories, photos, and video on the Parkland School Shooting.