The short answer
Private School Security Officers work under a written contract and school-approved post orders. Administrators set school policy and educational priorities; private officers carry out assigned protective functions within Arizona law and their training. Local police retain public law-enforcement authority. A private guard does not become a police officer by being posted on campus.
What to know
The school should create a joint coordination plan before an incident. It should identify who calls 911, who communicates with families, who meets responding officers, how responder access and keys are provided, where students and staff evacuate or reunify, and how video, visitor logs, and reports are preserved. Arizona requires site-specific school emergency operations planning and communication and assistance for students with disabilities. Officers should know which administrator can authorize routine decisions and when an emergency requires immediate public-safety action.
Regular exercises can test communications without disclosing sensitive tactical details. Administrators, security, police, fire, emergency medical services, and disability or student-support representatives should review lessons learned and update the emergency operations plan. The Arizona Department of Education supports site-specific emergency operations planning. Arrow should also accurately label its personnel: NASRO defines an SRO as sworn law enforcement, while a private security officer has different authority and responsibilities.