As part of a pilot program, all staff members at Gunning Bedford Middle School in New Castle, Del., have been given hand-held whiteboards that double as bulletproof shields in case of a school shooting.
Made of material similar to the armor plating in bulletproof vests, the 18-by-20-inch boards are light enough to be carried around and used in class every day, but can be wielded like a shield and are capable of stopping shots from handguns and shotguns, according to George Tunis, the chairman and CEO of Hardwire, the company that makes them.
If a shooter comes on campus, instructions on the back tell users to grab the whiteboard in a shield grip, position themselves between the shooter and other bystanders to protect them, then disable the attacker using the shield.
