Revolutionize Classroom Safety with lockdown security shutters and school security shutters by Window Armor

My name is Ken Ratliff. I'm a lifelong educator and retired school superintendent. During my tenure in K-12 education, there were numerous school shootings across America. As superintendent, I immediately felt an urgency to do everything possible to keep kids safe. State officials began requiring active shooter drills in schools across the country. We trained on and implemented response protocols for an active shooter event and conducted active shooter drills in cooperation with our local first responders. One aspect of locking down called for the teacher to cover the window of the classroom door with paper and post themselves up adjacent to the door. If the intruder attempted to break the window of the classroom door to gain entry to the room, the teacher was to fight. They were to use any means necessary to strike at the arm or hand. In that moment, the teacher was the last line of defense, and we knew if the shooter gained entry, the outcome would likely be horrific. That scenario of an educator fighting off a hostile intruder never sat right with me, and I felt we had to do better.

Windows on classroom doors are necessary for day-to-day operations and for the safety of students and staff. I’ve tested tempered glass and wired tempered glass and its ability to withstand the strike from the butt of a weapon or a bullet. The bottom line is that the glass can be broken out quite easily, and the intruder can gain access to the classroom in seconds. Security films are applied to windows to aid in intrusion prevention, but they aren’t suited for the windows of classroom doors because they don’t accommodate the attachment system necessary to be effective.

To solve this problem and address this vulnerability, I envisioned a sliding shutter system, constructed of steel, that would easily slide to cover the window and lock into place, preventing a hostile intruder from seeing into the room, gaining entry, or extending a weapon into the room. I discussed my idea with my local first responders and the fire marshal. With their blessing and input, I worked with a local machine shop to fabricate the units. I installed units in my schools on the interior of our classroom doors over Christmas break in 2017.

In February 2018, the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, occurred. The shooter, armed with an AR-15 and 300 rounds of ammunition, entered the building, ultimately killing 17 people. He carried out his carnage by walking down the hallways, taking aim at students and teachers in the corridors, and shooting into classrooms. Following this incident, I was compelled to make my invention available to schools across the county, as I felt it was a necessary fundamental layer of protection for students and teachers in an active shooter event. If we are going to ask teachers and students to lockdown in a classroom, that space MUST be in a secure location.

To date, we've installed our classroom security shutters on over 1000 classroom doors, and we're just getting started. If we can help improve the safety and security of the staff and students at your school, please reach out.