We have “bulletproof” cars for dignitaries and safe rooms for those with the money to pay for them. We even have bulletproof office spaces. But what about our schools? What about our future? 

With school shootings on the rise, protecting our children from such unspeakable acts should be prioritized, which is why ShotStop has created and provides ballistic solutions for schools.

If you read our recent blog, Bulletproof your Home | Build a Safe Room with BallisticBaord®, then you’re no stranger to the vast possibilities of BallisticBoard®. The same product used to build safe rooms and safe homes can be used in schools too.

Add BallisticBoard® desks, bookshelves, and doors to education facilities and help parents, teachers, and students find peace of mind.

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

Active shooters have been all over the news, and if history repeats itself like we all know it does, it’s just a matter of time before the next school shooting happens.

And if you’ve read our blog Backpacks | Guide to ShotStop Armor, then you know that according to the CHDS, the majority of school shootings are done by small-caliber handguns, such as a 9mm or .380. Something our BallisticBoard® can very effectively protect against.

While we can’t stop an active shooter from taking over a school, we can provide a product that helps protect against the fatalities caused by one. That product is our patented BallisticBoard®. 

BallisticBoard® Solutions

If you're interested in the different BallisticBoard® configurations, we have an entire list.

• Retail – Convenience Stores, Pawn Shops, Jewelry Stores

• Fashion – Backpacks, Purses, Computer Bags, Clothing

• Education – Desks, Doors, Bookshelves

• Military – Armored Vehicles, Shooting Ranges, Buildings

• Law Enforcement – Vehicle Door Panels, Ballistic Clipboards

• Commercial – Banks, Airports, Data Storage Facilities

• Government – Courtrooms, Public Buildings

• Transportation/Utilities – Shipping Containers, Utility Pipes/Lines/Towers

• Residential – Safe Rooms, Stand-Alone Panels

• Construction – Internal and External Walls, Roofing

• Your Custom Application?

As you can see from the list above, there are various custom options for a contractor or architect to take advantage of. However, we're only going to focus on one of them in this blog: Education — Desks, Doors, Bookshelves.

• If you’re a contractor looking to provide ballistic protection to your clients, such as those building schools, universities, or any type of construction, make sure you call and get BallisticBoard® added to your inventory.

• If you’re an architect or in charge of planning and purchasing materials for a new school, why not consider making plans to incorporate BallisticBoard® construction materials for internal and external walls, or even roofing?

• And finally, if you’re in charge of buying supplies, such as desks, doors, or bookshelves, give us a call so we can outfit you with the BallisticBoard® — incorporating our patented Duritium-technology — supplies you need.

BALLISTICBOARD® DOORS

We’ve already covered the need for a ballistic door in a safe room. But why would you need one in a school?

If you’re not familiar with procedures taken during an active shooter in schools, here’s a quick snapshot.

1. Lock the door

2. Turn off the lights/pull blinds down if on the first floor

3. Slide heavy item(s) in front of the door

4. All students get behind the thickest wall and lay down

5. Stay put until given the all-clear

Depending on where you live, such as a big city, you might have bulletproof glass. Some schools also have walls with concrete 2-ft deep and metal doors. But not all. Depending on what school you go to, the procedures may be different too. The above is simply an idea.

The first step—locking the door. Now think about it. What’s the point of even closing a door if the shooter can easily and quickly shoot the door down? Yes, it acts as a barrier, but if the shooter is intent on getting in THAT room or harming the people behind THAT door, what’s to stop him or her if their 9mm can easily penetrate said door? 

Our BallisticBoard® is customizable and ranges in thickness, starting at 0.125" (handgun protection) to 1” thick (armor-piercing rifle protection), depending on what you need protection from. To be a bit more specific, it can help add protection against common handgun calibers, such as a 9mm, or rifle calibers, such as a 7.62, 5.56/.223, that shooters might use to get through the classroom door. 

If you read our blog Bulletproof Backpacks | Guide to ShotStop Armor, you know that, according to the Center For Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS), there have been 1,337 school shootings since 1970. And the majority of those shootings are done with calibers our 0.6” thick BallisticBoard® can withstand. 

We can outfit everything from bookshelves, desks, and walls to clipboards, not just doors. So, why not use a product specifically made to protect students and teachers from such a heinous act?

BALLISTICBOARD® DESKS

Maybe a less common item one might consider using BallisticBoard® for, but desks are a great option. Why? Because if an active shooting occurs, students can tip their desks and use them as a barrier against flying bullets. It’s just one more resource to add to your list of protections put in place for the future of our nation.

Considering most classrooms have desks, wouldn’t it be nice to know that the desk could provide ballistic protection? We don’t know about you, but we sure would like to know, even on the worst day, that our children or students have a chance of surviving. And ballistic protection can definitely increase those odds.

BALLISTICBOARD® BOOKSHELVES

Like desks, bookshelves might not be the first thing one thinks about using BallisticBoard® on. However, it too, is a great item to use as a shield against someone trying to do harm with a firearm.

If a school is built with a lot of windows and they don’t offer ballistic protection, then a bookshelf can be pushed in front of those windows to protect students from shots fired through the windows. Bookshelves can also line the walls or be pushed in front of doors to add a second layer—or initial layer if a school has not been constructed with BallisticBoard® internal and external walls.

BACKPACK, COMPUTER BAG, PURSE/HANDBAG INSERTS

Here at ShotStop®, we believe ballistic protection should be available to everyone, not just to those with deep pockets. So, we created a product that provides ballistic protection at an affordable price—BallisticBoard®.

While we don’t sell custom ballistic solutions to individuals, if you’re a parent who stumbled upon this blog, and you don’t have any say so in purchasing ballistic protection for your child’s school, we do have other options. Backpack inserts. Of course, you can place these inserts in any number of bags, such as computer bags, your purse, or other handbags. Below are the two products we have available.

1.    Level/Type IIIA from ShotStop- $199.00

2.    Level/Type III from ShotStop- $329.99

Conclusion

If you work in a school built before BallisticBoard® was a thing and reconstructing your school is out of the question. Items such as desks, bookshelves, and doors are an easy solution to add to a school’s protection capabilities.

*While ShotStop® does not provide Custom Ballistic Solutions to individuals, it is available for B2B purchase. 

*If you're a construction company or an architect looking for ways to add ballistic protection to walls, roofs, or in need of stand-alone panels for school construction projects, then look no further than ShotStop®.

For more information on our custom ballistic applications, you can email us at sales@shotstop.com.