While she hopes she never has to use the backpack, Mrs. Vidal acknowledged that it’s always a looming possibility. “Unfortunately, I can’t say that it won’t ever happen to me or my school. I’m sure that is what those [Uvalde] teachers thought too,” she said. “It does cause a lot of anxiety when I hear another story about a mass shooting involving students. It has become my biggest fear as an educator. Any child, any student, should not have to die going to school [and] getting an education. I have the backpack in my classroom so that I am prepared. I would rather have it now instead of wishing I had it if there was ever an active shooter.”
“Teachers should have some kind of protective gear,” she said. “It does not have to be the backpack, even a vest would be great. … We should be given materials to stop bleeding. … Teachers should be given more security materials, like a door bar, since it is a real threat to all schools.
Teachers should be prioritized and given things that make them feel safe. The district gives us an emergency bag but it [only] has Band-Aids and a binder telling us what to do in an emergency. With a real possibility of an active shooter, we need to be prepared. Schools NEED to step up their safety procedures!”
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexalisitza/tiktok-teacher-active-shooter-backpack