The Colorado Attorney General’s Office has launched a program to train educators to recognize when students may be at risk of harming themselves or others.

The curriculum, which is available online at no cost, explains how school leaders can use Colorado’s Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law, to prevent violence, the office said. In Colorado, this protection order allows a judge to temporarily remove guns from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others.

“Educators are often the first to notice when a student is struggling or showing signs of crisis,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement. “This training provides teachers, professors, administrators, school resource officers, and campus security with practical tools to intervene early and, when appropriate, use Colorado’s ERPO law to protect students and school communities. By focusing on prevention, we can give schools the confidence and resources to stop tragedy before it occurs.”

Developed in collaboration with Safe2Tell, the program offers training to help educators spot early warning signs of potential gun violence. It also provides practical steps for filing an ERPO as well as best practices.

Safe2Tell is the state’s anonymous system for reporting safety concerns.

As of Sept. 21, this school year, more than 2,200 reports have been recorded across Colorado, state data shows. About 16% of those were suicide threats.

The Colorado Department of Law developed the “scenario-based” training. The online sessions are about 30 minutes each with downloadable resources and go toward continuing education credit upon completion.

Editor’s note: Class Notes is a recurring update on area school districts from education reporter Nicole C. Brambila.