There were about 300 school shootings across the United States in 2022, and the country has already experienced 100 mass shootings in 2023. One Alabama school is attempting to combat the alarming trend by introducing bulletproof classrooms.
West Elementary recently revealed that it installed KT Security Solutions' Rapid-Deploy Safe Room Systems in two of its classrooms. The video above shows that the safe room folds out from a whiteboard and is locked from the inside. The bulletproof room can only be unlocked with a key and only takes 10 seconds to assemble.
"In the unimaginable thought or action of a shooter, this is a safe place for the students or the teacher to get in," said school superintendent Kyle Kallhoff.
Kevin Thomas, Founder and CEO of KT Security Solutions, acknowledged the differing opinions on the innovative safety measure. While some appreciate the safety measure, others expressed disappointment in children having to learn in such environments. However, Thomas stated that the safety room is an adequate measure considering the lack of control he and the rest of the population have on the larger issues influencing the trend of mass shootings.
"Our goal here is to give every kid an opportunity to go home in the evening," Thomas said. "What we have is a way to save kids. I don't want to be here, it's crazy, but somebody's gotta do it. They asked, I heard the parents on that board over here, those 19 from Uvalde and the spouses of the teachers, said don't let this go anywhere, make it count and that's what we are doing. I can't control policies, I don't control gun control, I don't control mental illness, I don't control any of that. I'm not a policymaker…what we do have control over is the ability to make things that are innovative in the meantime, while we fix the bigger issues, we are going to do the here and now."
Source: NY Post
