Page 14 - Campus Security & Life Safety, January/February 2019

secured entry
Placing Protection
between an Active
Shooter and Victims
The only security that counts when face to face with tragedy
By Kirk Ferguson
rawcapPhoto/Shutterstock.com
Most people are at a loss when trying to relate to the horrors and fear associated with a school or workplace shooting. Many times, people will compare the building to a warzone and the peo- ple involved as soldiers under fire. As a soldier who has experienced many warzones and operated under fire multi- ple times, I can relate that this is not a fair comparison.
Soldiers volunteer and train daily for the battle, long before they arrive. While the actions might be sudden, they are already at a heightened state of awareness due to the regions they occupy. No one has ever arrived at their school or place of work expecting violence that day, except for the shooter.
Therefore, it is crucial to provide a true solution by means of a bal-
listically sound, secure line of defense between the shooter and his intended victims, wherever they are inside the building. A permanent protective barrier that innocents can close and lock will save lives.
Secured Entry Point
A secured entry point has multiple interpretations. The outdated thought of entry points only applying to the front door or external entry points is dangerous thinking. A secured entry is needed wher- ever you require the separation of individuals from sensitive informa- tion or harm from their fellow man. If the intent is to shield your inhabitants from harm, it must provide a ballistic protection that will stop the shooter’s bullets. The best secured entry point will ensure the safety of the inhabitants, provide absolute confidence to the occupi-
14 campuslifesecurity.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019