Bullet-Proof Barrier Handbook
Any discussion of "valued assets" must begin with your employees and staff. They are key to your success as a business, resources that are almost impossible to replace. Even if you can look beyond their value as human beings, as members of your business "family," they remain one of your most expensive investments. What's the cost of replacing them versus the cost of protecting them? What impact does that comparison have on your insurance premiums? What about the cost of negative publicity? Regardless of what you have in the vault or the cash drawer, your most valuable asset - and the one you can least afford to squander - is the welfare of your employees.
Six inches of lead sheathing or a foot of solid concrete is "bullet-proof." But the realities of commerce dictate visibility and easy communication. There are many materials at our disposal that provide excellent stopping power against most common handguns, shotguns and rifles - acrylic, polycarbonate, laminated fiberglass - and they can be employed in ways that are almost invisible to the undiscerning eye. A barrier system designed and installed by an experienced company will provide high security and protection against most projectiles, without making your place of business look like a maximum-security prison.
Security levels for bullet-resistant systems have been established by UL (Underwriters Laboratory), the primary testing organization for materials used in these systems. Each level has been tested and found effective at stopping certain types of projectiles, ones most typically employed during an armed robbery. While ratings extend to Level 8, the needs of most banks, credit unions, and convenience stores are well covered in Levels 1-3.
There is little rhyme or reason for why an armed gunman chooses a particular facility, other than a preference for those with the weakest security. While certain areas of some communities are classified by local authorities as "high-crime, " that is no assurance that a bank, convenience store or gas station outside this area is safe. Furthermore, it's a harsh fact that many businesses don't install a bullet-resistant barrier system until after a tragedy has occurred. We advise being proactive on an installation of a bullet-resistant barrier system to deter criminals and prevent a tragedy.
All our systems pass rigorous testing, often conducted by multiple standards agencies. All our materials are made to our stringent specifications, the most demanding in the industry. And as to the question of whether a sheet of transparent, 3/8" acrylic capped on each side by a 1/8" veneer of Lexan will stop a .357 Magnum jacketed lead soft point round or a .44 Magnum semi-wadcutter round; we've seen tests like this conducted many times, and the results are always impressive.
This is a frequently-asked question. Simply stated, we can design a system that allows easy access during the daytime, when traffic is high and the threat is low, and a much tighter profile in the evening and early morning hours when the threat increases. The system is simple and easy to operate. We've designed many systems to offer this level of flexibility and safety.
Absolutely. Experienced glaziers can easily add a new dimension to their sales by offering installations of pre-manufactured bullet-resistant materials. Our specification and manufacturing process is set-up to easily accommodate your needs, and we can likely do it faster and more efficiently than anyone in the industry. We'll provide spec sheets for you to complete and cut, route, and drill to your measurements, or we can provide products in bulk for you to work with.