Bulletproof classrooms introduced at Alabama high school

An Alabama school has introduced a bulletproof classroom to better protect students and teachers in the case of an active shooter emergency.

Cullman City Schools’ West Elementary in Alabama has installed Rapid-Deploy Safe Room Systems in two of its classrooms according to Unilad.

KT Security Solutions came up with the design in response to the deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas last year. Nineteen students and two teachers died, while seventeen others were injured.

The design incorporates a fold-out room that extends from a whiteboard featuring bulletproof walls. One door is locked from the inside and only unlocked with a key.

The safe room can be pulled out and assembled within 10 seconds.

After coming up with the design, founder and CEO of KT Security Solutions Kevin Thomas proposed the system to Kyle Kallhoff – superintendent (an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools) of Cullman City Schools.

Mr. Kallhoff told WBRC: “In the unimaginable thought or action of a shooter, this is a safe place for the students or the teacher to get in.”

Mr. Thomas noted: “Our goal here is to give every kid an opportunity to go home in the evening. What we have is a way to save kids. I don’t want to be here, it’s crazy, but somebody’s gotta do it. They asked, I heard the parents on that board over here, those 19 from Uvalde and the spouses of the teachers, said don’t let this go anywhere, make it count and that’s what we are doing.

“I can’t control policies, I don’t control gun control, I don’t control mental illness, I don’t control any of that. I’m not a policymaker…what we do have control over is the ability to make things that are innovative in the meantime, while we fix the bigger issues, we are going to do the here and now.”

Reaction on social media to the innovation has been divided.

One person wrote “Just. Ban. The. F–king. Guns.” while another said she “despaired”.

“How on Earth this is the best option America has … those poor kids growing up with this being ‘normal’. The greatest country in the world,” she wrote.

Another social media user was equally dismissive: “If this is what I had to send my son to every day I’d just homeschool. How can the US think this is a good solution.”