There was a new item on many parents back-to-school shopping lists this year. Bulletproof school supplies. A national survey published August 14th by Hardwire, a Maryland-based company that manufactures armor products, found that 74% of U.S. parents surveyed are concerned about a shooting at their child's school this year and 1 in 5 have already invested in some kind of bulletproof item for their child.
George Tunis, CEO of Hardwire, says his companies mission to build bulletproof school supplies began after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.
“Even though I’m a CEO of a company, I’m a dad first. We’re providing the most advanced armor in the world to the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then Virginia Tech happened. Then Sandy Hook was really a turning point for me as a dad with two young kids in school. I realized I was a half-hour away from them. I was like, the first responders are their teachers. They have to be able to make it 3-4 minutes before the authorities get there."
So Tunis wanted to provide items that could make students and teachers feel safe. Hardwire manufactures products that are made from the same technology that protects the N.Y.P.D. and the U.S. military. Those items include bulletproof white boards, clipboards and book bag inserts. They even provide an Emergency Response Shield to be hung on a wall, much like a fire extinguisher.
"We want to blend them but at the same time we have found that kids are very adapting of this. As a parent I want to take anxiety away from mm kids and take anxiety away from their teachers so they can focus on school. It’s hard enough. We find that kids are really curious about this, like “cool it’s bulletproof". It reduces the anxiety."
But with this new technology out there, comes the uncertainty of knowing which products will offer the most protection.
Tunis says parents need to be aware of the ballistic level of the product they are buying. Those standards are set by the Institute of Justice
- Level 3A protects against all handguns and shotguns (weighs around 1LB)
- Level 3 protects against all handguns, shotguns and assault weapons. (weighs less than 3.5 LBS)
Equipping your children with bulletproof school supplies may be a tough transition for many but Tunis says it best to have an open and honest conversation with your children.
"Its no more heartbreaking than having a conversation about fire and a fire extinguisher. You just take it as it is. I’m not really that concerned about my kids and fire, because they’re trained and they have smoke directors and run fire drills. This is the new threat and we want to make sure there are tools there."
Hardwire has compiled resources for schools and parents, including talking points for how to talk to your PTO or PTA about getting these products in your schools. Visit the Hardwire website for more information.
