School officers who assisted during San Bernardino terrorist attack honored

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- First responders who played a vital role during the San Bernardino terrorist attack were honored on Tuesday.

The Board of Education recognized officers with the San Bernardino Unified School District and the Fontana Unified School District during a reception at San Bernardino City Schools.

Officers and their families were invited to the ceremony that commended their actions on Dec. 2, 2015, when terrorists Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire at the Inland Regional Center.

Farook and Malik killed 14 people and injured several others before being killed in a gun fight with officers just a mile south of the IRC building.

San Bernardino school officers responded to the IRC were they provided safety and security for the medical triage area where victims of the shooting had been taken.

Fontana school officers then responded to both Fontana and San Bernardino schools to make sure students and faculty were safe and secure.

"This is really about doing the very best we could to save lives, protect and serve, and that's exactly what happened so I want to complement our team," San Bernardino Unified School District Superintendent Dale Marsden said.

While officers said they appreciated the ceremony, many told ABC7 they were just doing their job to protect the community.