Paul La Vigne | |
There are now around 44 active shooter events each year, with each incident injuring or killing an average of four to seven people, according to the FBI’s 2024 Active Shooter Incidents report.
These situations evolve quickly. In many cases, the individual actively engaged in attempting to kill people does so in under five minutes — long before law enforcement arrives.
While most organizations have some form of emergency planning, escape routes or active shooter training in place, such as ALICE training or “Run, Hide, Fight”, physical security solutions tested to prevent both bullets and break-ins are the most underutilized resources for true active shooter protection.
The Challenges of Delaying Entry
The awful truth is that there is little time to do anything once an active shooter event begins. According to the best data analysis available, around 70% of these incidents last just five minutes. More than a third last only two minutes. Meanwhile, it can take three to 18 minutes for police officers or rescue teams to arrive on the scene, even if there is immediate deployment.
In most cases, attackers begin shooting almost immediately upon entry, often with little or no warning. The math is appallingly clear: it’s vital to delay entry for as long as possible.
A few minutes can mean the difference between a tragedy and responding officers apprehending an attacker before they’ve had a chance to fire a single shot.
Designing for Active Shooter Situations
As more facilities have improved their access control and become more vigilant about locking doors, breaching the glass near doors to gain entry has become an increasingly common feature in active shooter events.
In most cases, we see an attacker shooting out standard window glass or non-ballistic security glazing, then stepping through the gap or reaching through to unlock a door. This was captured by security cameras in the opening moments of the 2023 Covenant School attack.
Even bullet-resistant glass can fail if it’s not properly framed. This is because window framing systems rely, in part, on the rigidity of the glass to keep the glass in place.
When that rigidity is compromised, the shooter can peel the glazing from its frame, especially if the system hasn’t been tested against simulated forced-entry after ballistic attack, as required by ASTM F3561-23.
A window and framing system tested against a five-shot grouping will always stop those bullets. But will that window stay in its frame if it is shot five times and then pounded with a cinderblock? If a window, even a bullet-resistant one, hasn’t been designed for and tested against real-world forced entry scenarios, you don’t really know how it will perform in that situation.
Active Shooter Protection Systems: Engineered For Imminent Danger
For years, our engineers have focused on addressing the vulnerabilities exposed by recent active shooter events. We’ve engineered the only window system that has been independently tested to multiple industry standards for both forced entry and bullet resistance. This is the first in our new line of active shooter protection products designed with a single goal: stop the shooting before it starts.
By delaying entry, you buy time for first responder teams, law enforcement, and anyone nearby to safely evaluate or take cover.
There are three testing standards that have a direct bearing on how well a ballistic system will delay an active attacker. These are:
- UL 752: Rates ballistic protection against handguns, and rifles commonly used in active shooter events
- ASTM F1233: Rates how well the material resists repeated forced-entry attempts by attackers using a range of commonly available tools.
- ASTM F3561: Used to rate how well the barrier system prevents entry after being shot and then repeatedly struck.
ASTM F3561 is the newest of these standards, and is specifically designed to address the tactic seen repeatedly since the Sandy Hook attack: the attacker shoots the glass to weaken it, then smashes enough away to reach through and gain entry.
ASTM F3561 is a really well-written standard for three reasons:
First and foremost, it captures the reality of what a door or window needs to withstand during an active shooter event.
Second, there is little room for ambiguity in the standard. During testing, a set number of shots of a given caliber are grouped in a defined pattern, and then a 100-pound impactor on a pendulum, dropped from specific increasing heights, is used to measure resistance to impact.
There is no variance from test to test or lab to lab. This is not the case with some other standards, which rely on laboratory staff using tools, improvised objects, and brute force to attack the barrier. On different days, the staff conducting the tests could be different people of different sizes and strengths using different techniques.
Finally, and most importantly, ASTM F3561 is a system standard. When windows are tested against ASTM F3561, all of the elements are tested together, exactly as they are to be installed: the frame, the glass, the fasteners, and any anchoring systems, sealants, adhesives, or films. Nothing is left to chance.
Carefully Assess Companies’ Claims about ASTM 3561
Unfortunately, we’ve noticed an alarming increase in vendors claiming that their solutions meet ASTM F3561 standards, including some in the security film industry. For example, I’ve seen sales pages for security films claiming that the film “meets the standards for ASTM F3561 certification.”
If the film was used as part of a system that passed some level of ASTM F3561, then it is all the elements of that system together that earned the certification, not just the film.
Even though the claim is foggy, the implication is clear: Add this film to your existing windows and you’ll prevent an armed attacker from gaining entry.
The problem is that no one can make such a broad claim in good conscience. Security window films are not tested against ballistic standards and do not provide protection against bullets and a determined attack. With non-system-tested solutions there are many factors at play, and many possible points of failure. That’s the entire reason ASTM 3561 exists: to minimize uncertainty.
These misleading claims give people a false sense of security and can cost lives.
Our system is the only dry-glazed dual-rated forced-entry/bullet-resistant window system on the market that’s specifically engineered and tested to stop bullets and delay entry while minimizing possible potential points of failure.
It meets not only the UL 752 Level 3 standard (stopping all kinds of handguns), but also ASTM F1233 (resisting a prolonged multi-attacker “mob” armed with a variety of tools, including hammers, axes, chisels, crowbars, torches, and chemicals), as well as ASTM F3561 Level 8.
This final test begins with the window being shot 10 times in a specific pattern with 5.56mm rounds from a rifle. The window is then struck with a 100-pound weight dropped from various heights a total of 16 times. It’s equivalent to a window being shot with a high-powered rifle and then battered by a determined attacker. .
Preventing an Active Shooter Situation Requires Physical Infrastructure
Shooters choose targets based on vulnerability. When a facility has clear physical deterrents in place, it signals resistance. That alone can discourage an attack or slow it down long enough to allow people to find possible escape routes or hiding places.
This is why we recommend a systems approach to security with multiple layers, including:
- Bullet and forced-entry resistant doors and windows - These are essential in any area where people gather, including main entrances. Because ASTM F3561 is a systems test, it validates the integrity of the framing as well as the glass or glazing.
- Secure vestibules and mantraps - Controlled-access spaces can be equipped with forced-entry and bullet-resistant materials to delay or deny access. When they're used with access control systems, they force attackers to encounter resistance before reaching populated areas.
- Surveillance systems - Cameras help to identify a threat quickly and give a physical description of the attacker
- Integration with law enforcement resources and response plans - Physical barriers should align with your facility’s standard operating procedures and law enforcement protocols. This ensures first officers arriving on scene can act quickly, with confidence that the shooter’s movement has been delayed or contained.
When built and installed correctly, these systems give you the best chance to mitigate harm, support police officers, and most importantly, save lives.
Ready to Strengthen Your Facility’s First Line of Defense?
When seconds matter, your facility needs a first line of defense that's proven to protect — not a last resort. Our active shooter window system is the only dual-rated system tested to stop bullets and delay forced entry.
It's tested against three standards, including UL 752 Level 3, ASTM F1233 Class 2.0, and ASTM F3561 Level 8.
It's real-world protection that holds together under the most extreme conditions, buying time to stop a shooter, evacuate victims, and restore control of the scene.
We've protected more than 30,000 buildings with custom-engineered solutions using our proven process.
Whether you’re securing a school, workplace, healthcare facility or government building, we’ll help you build a security system designed to delay attackers, protect people and save lives.
If you’re considering your options or actively planning a project, schedule a consultation with us to talk about implementing the dual protection your facility needs to stop bullets and break-ins.
