Hardwire, LLC and donor Leo Holt make large shield donations for local schools and spread awareness of Active Shooter Protection Tools

December 16, 2022

Active Shooter Protection - "Gunfire Extinguisher"

It’s been 10 years since Sandy Hook and unfortunately, bullets are still flying. But not every community is complacent with the status quo. Some communities still find it difficult to discuss active shooters, but several communities are taking action and making a difference.

Active shooter protection EXISTS. This is not the ‘bulletproof backpack’ you saw on TikTok or a ‘safe room’. We are talking about a critical tool that should be part of a comprehensive program that addresses active shooters – the “fire extinguisher for gunfire” and thousands are being installed in schools today.

From the now 1,700 shields Hardwire, LLC has personally donated to schools on the lower eastern shore of Maryland, to the 250 shields Leo Holt donated to Gloucester City, NJ schools, Hardwire is dedicated to work with schools and community leaders to provide affordable active shooter protection by supplying bulletproof tools that make them feel safe and empowered in emergency situations.

Think about it… there is a comprehensive approach to fire safety for every public building in the country. We have smoke detectors, fire alarms, fire evacuation drills, fire marshals, the fire department, and fire extinguishers. There are training programs, professionals to respond to an emergency, and emergency fire-fighting tools in the case that a fire breaks out. With this wholistic approach, kids do not die in school fires and haven’t for decades.

Right now, our country is lacking the analogous approach to active shooter safety. We have first responders and some training. But most schools lack the “fire extinguisher” emergency tool that can be used until first responders arrive. It took over 100 years from the modern fire extinguisher’s invention until it was mandated by law. We cannot wait 100 years to save kids in schools.

But not all schools are missing the “gunfire extinguisher”. Since the Sandy Hook shooting, Hardwire – an armor manufacturer in Maryland that does most of its work for the Department of Defense and U.S. law enforcement – has been manufacturing Emergency Response Shields and ballistic protection for schools and public facilities. Shields have been implemented in schools in all 50 states over the past decade in a variety of forms.

After the horrific Uvalde event, three counties in the state of Maryland have implemented the Emergency Response Shields district wide in all public schools this Fall, putting 1,700 shields across 59 institutions. Another 500 shields are currently being implemented in schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania through the help of donors.

The Emergency Response Shield is an 18” x 20” active shooter protection shield. It is a piece of armor designed to stop all bullets from assault rifles, shotguns, handguns, and protect against blades, and blunt force weapons. The ERS has been designed to look like a fire extinguisher with clear directions for use printed in between the handles. It can be easily removed from the wall for use by able-bodied individuals in an active shooter emergency. It is a tool that works with Department of Homeland Security’s recommended “Run, Hide, Fight.” It can also be used by first responders when responding to an active assailant incident.

Armor stops bullets and saves lives, and it doesn’t have to look militarized to be effective.

As citizens and parents with the expertise of a military armor company, we didn’t want to see another Uvalde situation happen where teachers, students, and first responders didn’t have the right tools to save lives. And yet it just happened again in St. Louis where a teacher stood in front of her students with nothing. It’s heart-breaking and unacceptable to watch teacher after teacher say “I had nothing” or pay the ultimate price when there is affordable protection that can help – just like a fire extinguisher. Ten years after Sandy Hook, it’s time for leaders, parents, and the public to know that there are tools that can save lives NOW.

For more information on the ERS, please see the links below:

Active Shooter Protection - "Gunfire Extinguisher"

Armor stops bullets and saves lives, and it doesn’t have to look militarized to be effective.

For more information on the ERS, please see the links below:

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