We know what you’re thinking: Is there such thing as ballistic film?
Quick answer: NO. There is no easy or cheap way to bulletproof your existing glass windows reliably. According to the International Window Film Association’s guidelines, “window film by itself has not been tested to be bullet-proof. Any claims to the contrary should be thoroughly investigated and the IWFA should be contacted whenever such a claim is made.”
However, you can use safety and security window film to delay or deter active shooters – and that’s what this blog is about.
If you’re looking for a glazing replacement that stops bullets (ballistic glass), that also exists (just not as a window film). Contact the building security glass experts at NGS to learn more about how you can create a bullet shield for your building.
What Can Security Window Film Do?
If security window film can’t stop bullets, what can it do? Well, quite a bit, actually.
It can:
- Keep your building occupants safe
Because safety and security window film is a shatter resistant security film, it reduces spall hazards to your building occupants or guests. (“Spall” is the dangerous, small glass shards that bullets produce when they hit glass.) - Keep your inventory and equipment safe
Most commercial doors and windows are made with tempered glass, which breaks into a trillion little cubes on impact. While those little cubes are great for reducing window shard injury for people, their crumbly nature doesn’t do much to protect your premises when thieves or intruders shoot your windows. - Safety and security window film transforms all windows into shatterproof windows, which keeps your premises and occupants safer in the event of an attack or shooting.
- Slow down intruders to buy time for escape
This is probably the most important feature that safety and security film offers. Because practical, low-cost, bullet-resistant glass doesn’t actually exist, security solutions such as 3M shatter resistant films are used to strengthen existing glass windows and doors and keep active shooters out of your building.
How this works:
In the video below, compare the first window attack with the second window attack. As you’ll see, the tempered glass shatters into thousands of tiny cubes in the first window attack, and the gunman is able to breach the glass with little to no effort. Compare that to the second window, which uses security window film, and you’ll see how the film maintains the structural integrity of the glass cubes, keeping them safely stuck together and delaying the gunman.
Buy Critical, Lifesaving Time with Security Window Film
As the video shows, the shooter took nearly 10x as long to get even partially through the glass treated with 3M security film:
It took only 20 seconds for the shooter to breach the untreated glass, as compared to 2 minutes for the treated glass.
Consider how many more people could escape or get to safety zones in an armed gunman situation if they had 2 minutes to react, rather than 20 seconds.
Then consider how many more people would survive the attack if you could increase that time to nearly 6 minutes, as shown on the third window attack in the video, which includes the triple-thick security of safety and security window film, plus a TRI-SHIELD anti-intrusion system.
In an emergency active shooter situation, those extra minutes can save extra lives.
Learn More About Security Window Film Solutions from the Experts at NGS
A building properly hardened with 3M security film can do a lot more to save lives than untreated glass, but for next-level protection, you may want to consider a virtually bulletproof glass solution. Riot Glass is one such solution, but it’s just one of many options.
If you’re ready to improve your building’s protection capabilities, so you can save more lives in an active shooter situation, your best bet is to discuss your options with the experts.
Contact NGS to learn more about your safety and security window film and window options. And remember, there is no such thing as ballistic, bullet resistant, or bulletproof window film.
