ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — Students aren't the only ones getting ready to go back to school. In Roane County, school resource officers with the sheriff's department are also getting ready.
They went through firearm training before they returned to the classroom. The Roane County Sheriff's Office posted pictures of their training on Facebook showing SROs using pistols, rifles and training together while taking aim at targets.
"It makes it a whole lot better for the officers, for the staff, and for the kids to have that working relationship," said Tim Phillips, the Roane County chief deputy. "We've been fortunate through the years to have people who want to do this."
There are SROs in 17 schools across the county, and the chief deputy said that they get the same training as all other deputies in the department. They have also been trained on emergency procedures like lockdowns and fire drills, according to officials.
The first day of school in Roane County is Wednesday, with a half-day for students.