The number of school shootings recently has forced several states to consider different ways to protect their students. In Ohio, one community banded together to come up with a solution to help prevent such tragedies.
Parent fundraisers were able to raise $30,000, which was used to purchase one of several varieties of Barracuda intruder defense systems for each classroom door:
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Unfortunately for the school, the new door security devices violate building fire and disability codes that apply to public schools. Parent organizer Erin West told the Columbus Dispatch:
“’It’s beyond comprehension to know that we could have added an additional layer of protection for our kids in the event of an active shooter,’ West said, ‘and that our great community and great schools and great fire and sheriff’s offices came together to make that happen, at no expense to the schools, only to be told we can’t use them. It’s sickening.’”
Ohio state Sen. Jay Hottinger met with West and Fire Marshall Larry Flowers to discuss the use of these intruder devices:
“’Do we barricade the doors or do we not barricade the doors? It’s something that needs resolved on a statewide level,’ said Hottinger, who said many other districts either employ door barricades now or are considering it.
‘What might be appropriate for Southwest Licking schools might not be appropriate for another district, and we won’t solve this by individual variances, which could number in the hundreds, even thousands.’”
The reason for the violation, according to Flowers:
“‘It’s a big liability if they’re used inappropriately.’ What’s to keep a student from using a barricade and then assaulting a teacher or raping a student?”
Sen. Hottinger says he plans to discuss these preventative measures further with the community, and hopes that these devices will be considered appropriate for use against shooters and other kinds of intruders.
Other measures have been adopted by schools nationwide to combat school shootings, such as kevlar blankets and oddly enough, arming students and faculty with canned goods to throw at a school shooter as a last resort.
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