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Educational institutions are considered to be soft targets for criminal activity and outside threats as those facilities are primarily occupied by children, teenagers, and unarmed faculty. Schools have an enhanced need for protection compared to most other facilities. There are many threats that young students could encounter; one that undoubtedly catches the nation’s attention whenever it occurs is the threat of active shooters.
In response, law enforcement has been maintaining a working relationship with school districts to make sure that these situations can be accurately assessed and drilled to be mitigated, and in best cases, deterred or avoided. One key tool that can help officers who defend these facilities is a mobile fighting position (MFP). When utilizing mobile fighting positions, officers are prepared, swift, and capable of keeping threats away from key areas of the facility.
Preparedness
It is vital for officers to be prepared for active shooter response, especially inside school buildings where the situations are even more delicate as they may involve children as young as 4 years old. A mobile fighting position is a rapid deployment ballistic shield and barricade that can be maneuvered over long distances, increasing an operator’s mobility and survivability. Practicing a quick and accurate deployment of an MFP will positively impact an officer’s ability to face a gunman. Having multiple MFPs placed throughout the facility, particularly in key areas, will enhance the preparedness for active shooter response. Officers can implement the use of a mobile fighting position both in battle and in training.
Swift Response
Not only must officers get to the scene in a swift manner, but they must also have a swift response once they arrive. The decisions must be made quickly, officers must navigate through the facility quickly, and they must quickly engage shooters. These are situations where every second counts. Having a ballistic-rated barricade that can deploy in seconds provides a great advantage over the threat. The sooner an officer can deploy the MFP, the better that officer is shielded and able to respond. The mobility of MFPs will give officers the advantage of being able to navigate through different areas of the facility while still having a quickly deployable barricade.
Key Areas
In any facility, there can be areas that are more vulnerable than others. The most at-risk areas in a school facility are the areas with the most traffic flowing such as the main hallways, cafeterias, entry and exit points, and lobbies. Hallways are potentially the most dangerous for students and faculty as a shooter is likely to navigate across the school and classrooms will be locked down due to procedure. MFPs can either be brought to these vulnerable areas in response to an attack, or they can already be in place for officers in an inconspicuous location, hidden in plain sight. MFPs placed by entry and exit points will provide officers with substantial access control as they can keep the gunman confined to one area of the facility with no chance to exit.
Contact Kontek Industries
Kontek Industries specializes in ballistic and blast rated armor systems for DOD, nuclear facilities, law enforcement, and a wide range of other organizations. The Mobile Fighting Position - Lite offers the ability for operators to dictate their cover and angles of fire as opposed to simply relying on their existing environment. Operators are also allowed to respond and defend against hasty or rapid development attacks. The fighting position can be deployed in seconds and its small form factor allows it to be hand carried or stored in the trunk of a vehicle.
Contact the office at Kontek Industries today to discuss your armor system needs.
