Defensive Architecture One Answer To School Violence
The past couple of months have brought about stories of unbelievable horror, as children have been subjected to gun violence in what should be a safe haven: their schools.
The news media reports a wide range of often one-sided solutions, while most of us realize that any actual solutions will need to engage multiple facets, including mental health, our society’s culture of violence and providing adequate security within educational facilities.
For many, the thought of turning school buildings into fortresses is a concept far removed from our own experiences of worrying more about “lost” homework than physical security. But recent circumstances can not be ignored, and thoughtful “hardening” of educational buildings can offer one aspect of additional security for both students and educators.
ArmorCore® bullet resistant fiberglass panels has been proven effective against a wide range of threats, from bullets and blast fragments to storm debris and physical attack with hand-held implements. In the battlefields of the Middle East to bank counters and health care facilities in the U.S., strategically placed ArmorCore® ballistic resistant materials have saved lives.
These same materials can be used within doors, walls (such as within a closet, to create a “safe room”), counters and desks to offer protection from the previously unthinkable acts of an armed attacker, providing time for law enforcement to intervene.
Is this the only answer: Of course not. As a society, we have many decisions and solutions to explore. But as a parent of a school-aged child, I would feel just a little better knowing that some practical and affordable measures of protection have been integrated into the classrooms and building.
ArmorCore® was conceived and is manufactured as a protective measure against violence. And as a feasible and accessible aspect of potentially saving lives against an armed intruder, it’s one start to the larger questions we all face.