OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Police at The Evergreen State College said they need rifles and heavy body armor to protect students if someone opens fire on campus.

Some students are fighting the request saying it's the campus police who really need to be feared.

Sgt. Tim Marron trains and works to protect the students and staff at The Evergreen State College and every day, he thinks about mass shootings like the one at Virginia Tech where a gunman killed 32 people.

"I come to work every day and I think, I hope it's not today," Marron said.

Marron said his department is not prepared, as they are armed with only handguns and soft body armor.

When 13 people were gunned down at Columbine High School 10 years ago, police learned a deadly and painful lesson. Gunmen, who police now call "active shooters" open fire at schools and often don't want to take hostages or negotiate.

"Usually just one goal in mind is to kill as many people as possible until they're stopped, until they're killed," Marron said.

To prepare for the threat, every public four-year college in our state except Evergreen is now training to handle active shooters.

In Bellingham, Western Washington University Police now have rifles which are more powerful and accurate than handguns and they also have heavier body armor and bullet proof helmets.

"It's equipment that's just life and death," said Chief Randy Stegmeir of the Western Washington University Police.

With the new gear and training, two or more officers can now go in after an active shooter instead of waiting.

"Every second we wait, more lives can be lost," Stegmeir said.

A number of students at Evergreen are fighting the campus police proposal to get rifles, claiming the odds of an active shooter attacking on campus are very low. Some students have a history of conflict with campus police, including a riot on campus last year in February. Some students even say they fear the police more than an active shooter.

"I think it's pretty ridiculous for a number of reason," said Evergreen student Shyam Khanna. "The chance of police using violence on campus against the students they're supposed to be protecting."

College Vice President of Student Affairs, Art Costantino, will make the final decision about arming police with rifles. He's considering the odds an active shooter will strike, the cost and the likelihood his small police force could stop an active shooter -- even with rifles.

He's also considering the student opposition, including a campus police review board that just recommended against rifles.

"If you have a very strong campus concern about something shouldn't it be a consideration? Yes, it has to be a consideration," Costantino said.

As he waits for a decision, Marron tucks a picture of his two boys in his uniform every day. For now Marron says all he can do is pray he'll never have to wait helplessly outside listening to the screams of people being murdered.

"If I wait, more people die. Is it my kid? Whose kid dies next?" Marron said.

For now with just their handguns and soft armor that can't stop rifle rounds, Evergreen police would have no choice but to wait outside until better armed, better equipped and better trained officers from Thurston County arrived at the scene -- that could give the shooter an extra 15 to 20 minutes to keep on killing.

Costantino could make a decision on the rifles any time now.