VIDEO: How To Obtain The Next Generation Of Active Shooter Window Film
When it comes to unique ways to test the strength of windows and window film, Campbell Window Film president and CEO Brad Campbell is the king.
We’ve covered Brad’s blast-mitigating method of setting off explosions in San Antonio (new video below), but Brad has actually one-upped himself with a new video (above) where he tests the strength of Campbell’s active shooter mitigation systems by shooting a window — lined with multiple layers of film and attached to the frame — with two powerful handguns and an AR-15 rifle. The ammunition used in the rifle is 5.56mm NATO full metal jacket rounds with steel penetrators, which, as Brad mentions in the video, are designed to “pierce through quarter-inch thick hot-rolled welding steel plate at 80 yards.”
As important (and awesome) as the testing process is, Brad says seeing how incredibly strong these systems are is the true reward.
How Are The Systems Made?
By partnering with the world’s top manufacturers of security window film, Brad creates a variety of different films and systems specifically designed for each building. Everything from the client’s glass type to the level of threat (bomb blasts, forced entry) is considered. In the local storefront above, for example, Brad and his team were able to protect the store against 12 sledgehammer-wielding burglars. Not only did the window prevent the burglars’ entry, but it also prevented glass fragments from getting into the building, dramatically reducing cleanup costs and downtime for the store owner.
How Does The Film Work?
Even when a tempered window is riddled with bullets and breaks into countless tiny shards, it remains solidly in place when lined with film, not even flexing against repeated pushes and even kicks. By holding the broken pieces so tightly together that they don’t dislodge from each other, Brad says, the film makes the window as sturdy as unbroken glass, delaying the shooters’ entry and giving occupants time to run, hide, barricade and call the authorities.
These precious few minutes can be the difference between life and death. While there are instances where glass stops the bullets, many are 1/2" thick glass with 24mm thick film, which is almost never found in any building and can only be achieved if all of the glass is replaced, Brad says.
“We feel it is deceptive to test with a glass type that isn’t a standard glass used in the vast majority of schools, homes and commercial buildings,” Brad explains, “so we are developing our system to work with what you already have.”
That’s not to say that Brad isn’t working on glass-clad polycarbonates and bullet resistance, but it needs to be reasonable and affordable before he offers it to clients.
Do I Need The Film?
Those outside of schools, government buildings or retail may think it unnecessary to install the film, but Brad insists anyone can benefit. With 70% of all forced-entry burglaries resulting from a breached door or window (according to FBI crime statistics), and the film being customizable for solar control and privacy, there is a security film system any homeowner can feel good about.
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