The December 2012 shootout that killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct., forever changed the landscape of school security across the country.

Since then, school officials have tightened access to most area school buildings and scheduled forums and training sessions focused on making a similar tragedy more unlikely.  On Saturday, Ernie Kirk, a former teacher turned self-protection expert, will continue that trend by offering an Active Shooter Defense Seminar, which is free to any school district employee (current ID required).

The session will run from noon to 2 p.m. at Kirk’s Premier Martial Arts and Krav Maga, 1731 Wilmington Pike, Glen Mills. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to call 610-459-1933 to reserve a spot.

Kirk said the instructors will include himself, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces insider threat expert and two federal law-enforcement security specialists. The topics will range from a presentation on statistics and profiles of active shooters to making a decision on whether to evacuate or lock out to using physical training to its best advantage.