School Climate & Safety News in Brief

Delaware School Gets Bulletproof Whiteboards

By The Associated Press — November 11, 2014 1 min read
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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.

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A version of this article appeared in the November 12, 2014 edition of Education Week as Delaware School Gets Bulletproof Whiteboards

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