How Midwest Tinting Helps Enhance School Safety in the Metro
Over the course of time, school shootings have sadly become more and more frequent. This leaves all of us asking, what can we do to help ensure the safety of students, teachers and faculty? Glass is a vulnerable entry point on every building. In an effort to increase school safety, states are mandating that glass windows and doors be reinforced with entry-resistant security film for architectural glass.
Midwest Tinting has worked with many metro area schools to enhance their safety measures. How does the process work? Whether you are working with a government grant or your own school budget funding, you’ll want to start with an estimate. Our experts will come to you, free of charge!
- We will take measurements of the windows you want covered (most often in entry ways and or ground level classrooms).
- We asses film options that best fit your needs. We have clear security film that does not change the appearance of the glass, and we have solar security film that provides reflectivity and a darker appearance, while both films offer 99.9% UV protection. You have the choice of 8 mil or 14 mil film.
- We send you a proposal containing the product you’ve selected, measurements, and cost.
- Once you approve the work order, we schedule a day and time for installation.
- When working with a government grant, you apply for X amount $ towards your desired projects and then once the work is done you are responsible for providing receipts for what the money went towards.
How does Security Film work?
When intruders attempt to break in, the film works as a deterrent. Slowing them down and making it more difficult and time consuming to gain entry. This creates more precious time for occupants to get to safety and alert authorities. Every second counts when it comes to emergency responses.
Security film is much thicker than your average window tint. It is 8 millimeters (or thicker). Once our installers clean the glass, we install the film using more pressure when applying it than we typically would. Next step is enveloping the film to the window frame using a commercial grade caulking, paired with special techniques acquired and taught by our master installers with over 20 years of experience. Working with this kind of caulking can get messy quickly if you don’t know what you are doing. Our experts have spent years researching methods and tools that allow our installers to give the most natural border frame possible.
Benefits of Security Film:
- Can be installed on existing windows and frames
- Bonded at the frame so it holds the building envelope together for longer, helping to delay or deter forced entry
- Holds broken glass shards together, protecting from windstorms, hurricanes, or explosions
- Prevents flying shards of glass from causing severe injury
- Clear, tinted, mirrored, and frosted options are available
- 99.9% UV Protection
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Kansas Safe and Secure Schools
In an effort to increase school safety, states are mandating that glass windows and doors be reinforced with entry-resistant security film for architectural glass.
Kansas Safe and Secure School Standards states: “Standard 1. School districts shall safeguard that the infrastructure of school buildings and/or attendance centers operated by the district; are safe and secure, which includes creating secured doors (interior and exterior), enhancing the safety of windows, and improving any facet of structural building integrity. School districts shall consult with local law enforcement officials as well as local emergency management agencies to review and evaluate the existing infrastructure of school buildings.”
The state is doing everything possible to support and protect its students, teachers, and staff members. In 2018 the state passed a Safe and Secure School Standards bill, providing funds to ensure the safety of schools statewide. This includes secure doors, installing safe windows, and improving the structural integrity of the building.
Kansas Safe and Secure Schools Unit
Main Line: 785-296-4946
Email: sassu@ksde.org
Missouri School Safety Grants
On June 30, 2023, Governor Mike Parson signed House Bill No. 2 for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024) which appropriated $50 million in funding for a second round of School Safety Grants to support physical safety improvements in local education agencies (LEAs) and nonpublic schools (NPSs) across the state. These funds will be distributed through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s FY24 School Safety Grant Program.
We have worked with several schools who received government grants to improve school safety. The states of Kansas and Missouri are both offering grants for improvements such as security film, and the grant application window varies. To find out more info about government issued safety grants, eligibility, and application windows give your state education department a call or visit their website.