Two Putnam County Schools To Install Ballistic Film Over Doors

Ballistic film will be installed at two Putnam County Schools, Prescott Elementary and Middle Schools, marking the first installation of the protective security device.

Director of Schools Corby King said while high-powered rounds can still shoot through the film, the aggressor cannot bust through the glass as was seen at the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. .

“Just from slowing down, buying time for those who are inside the building to find a safe zone, maybe give SROs, give the officers more time to respond and take out the aggressor before they’re able to get any further, again that gives us some comfort,” King said.

King said these two schools have considerable glass, so it made sense to start with them. The first installation will be on school entryways. King said he expects the system to begin implementing the film at other schools going forward, including on first-floor windows.

King said he was impressed with a demonstration of the new product this summer.

“You can’t just shoot it out like what you saw at Covenant where the shooter was able to shoot it out and walk right through the door,” King said. “With this, you can’t do that. After several rounds, high-powered rounds, the film still wasn’t shattered. The Fire Department then came in with a big sledgehammer and they weren’t able to bust through the glass even at that point.”

The film is being paid for through some remaining money of a state safety grant, King said. The product costs $16 per square foot, giving the project a total price of some $80,000. King said that there has been some discussion about fully bulletproof glass, but priced at $250-$300 per square foot, it would not be something the school system can do at this time.

The film comes from Eversafe Security Solutions. King said that as we get into the spring, he expects more money to come from the state and other sources to move forward with the project.