KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- After school tragedies, Ronny Barreto feels a little extra pressure. 

Barreto is a school resource officer at Gateway High School in Kissimmee.

"Every morning when I get up and put on my vest and I put on my uniform, put on my gun belt... I think this could be the day," Barreto said Friday -- hours after a student in Texas opened fire at a suburban Houston Santa Fe High School, killing at least 10 people.

Barreto is responsible for the safety of 2,600 kids at Gateway High.

"I don't want that to happen, but I'm mentally and physically prepared to act and respond properly to diminish any kind of threat on this campus," Barreto said.

While he is a full-time school resource officer, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office has rolled out a new part-time position, called a school safety officer. That position has the same benefits as teachers, such as summers and holidays off.

"I was once an SRO at Poinciana High School. So I understand what it takes, and I think it's one of the most important positions that a police agency or law enforcement agency can have: to build that bond between a youth or a child and an officer," Sheriff's Office spokesman Maj. Jacob Ruiz said.

Starting in the beginning of the next school year, the Sheriff’s Office wants to have two officers at every county high school and one in every elementary and middle school. 

Barreto hopes that they can fill the gap soon -- mainly to protect students, but also along the way, to build relationships with them. 

"(It's important) to be one on one with kids so they can understand what we do, and we can bridge that gap with the community," Barreto said. "I get to change (any negativity about law enforcement) here at the school, which is what I love about the job."

For more information on applying for a school safety officer, go to the Sheriff's Office's website. 

Ronny Barreto, a full-time school resource officer at Gateway High School in Kissimmee, says he's "mentally and physically prepared to act" if there's a threat on campus. (Stephanie Bechara, staff)
Ronny Barreto, a full-time school resource officer at Gateway High School in Kissimmee, says he's "mentally and physically prepared to act" if there's a threat on campus. (Stephanie Bechara, staff)