Ballistic shields are described as “invaluable for active shooter incidents” where officers cannot wait for back-up, particularly in rural areas where back-up might be up to 1 hour away. The author argues that ballistic shields should be in every patrol car for rapid deployment incidents. The unique working conditions and law enforcement needs of rural law enforcement agencies are discussed in terms of rural setting, the number of officers available, and deployment time. Ballistic shields are presented as a necessary item for rural police officers who may not be able to wait for back-up and who may also be facing disadvantageous environmental issues, such as little or no cover. The author highlights the importance of training, particularly joint training, on how to use the ballistic shield properly. Joint training is necessary because under some conditions, several officers may need to rely on the protection of just one ballistic shield. Advice is offered for how to select a ballistic shield and how to creatively finance the shields, which tend to be prohibitively expensive for small law enforcement agencies. A textbox within the article describes several types of ballistic shields. Exhibits