At TDA, our School Guardian program has been one of our most rewarding contributions to the community. Over the past 13 years, we've built and expanded this initiative across Texas, allowing select volunteers to carry handguns on school campuses after undergoing additional, specialized training. We have partnered with numerous educational institutions in Texas and are proud to continue growing this program.

One of the key differentiators of TDA is our class structure, which sets us apart from other training providers. We are deeply committed to ensuring the success of these programs, focusing on firearms proficiency, manipulations, and safety. Our extensive network of client schools allows us to share policies, procedures, and lessons learned, fostering a strong community of programs.

Once volunteers have completed at least two handgun courses, we begin incorporating scenario repetitions within the facility, starting small and gradually increasing in complexity. These drills are followed up with live-fire exercises to ensure that tactics aren't shaped by the limitations of force-on-force training equipment. This approach ensures that teams don't develop habits that could be detrimental when using live ammunition in real-world situations.

Many programs begin with "Active Shooter" scenario-based training events, such as Force on Force (simunition or airsoft). However, we believe that if a volunteer group hasn't received prior professional instruction in proper firearms use, such training can be counterproductive. Such events can artificially rush decision-making, reinforce bad shooting habits, and promote ineffective equipment and procedures—all of which decrease performance in high-stress, crowded situations and waste valuable resources.

We have also witnessed poorly conducted scenario-based training in the industry, where improper class structure, inadequate role players, and a lack of critical debriefs leave participants unprepared for real-world situations.

To be clear, we are not opposed to Force on Force or scenario training. We reserve these training tools for groups that have already completed at least two two-day courses focused specifically on handgun use. We refuse to compromise the quality of training for the sake of making money, as we stand by the reputation of our program and the certificates we issue at the end of the day.