BREAKING NEWS!
Are bulletproof doors the future of school safety?
Most American schools are not adequately protected against mass shooting attacks. Standard classroom doors can be breached in just 14 seconds. Don't think it can't happen in your school.
NOTE: Make sure sound is on.
The vulnerability of the standard classroom door is why most of the victims are shot within the first four minutes of an attack. Watch the comparison attack video – it shows the difference between imminent life-threatening danger and staying safe.
Classroom wooden doors are not designed or built to withstand gunfire or forced entry. The window located near the lock presents a significant design flaw, as safety against an Active Shooter was not a primary consideration.
Window attack flaw
If the classroom window is made of standard glass, it will shatter upon being shot, allowing the attacker to reach inside and unlock the door, or shoot into the classroom through the opening. Even if the window is made of tempered safety glass, gunfire aimed at the glass and its frame can cause the window to detach from the frame, allowing the attacker to access the door lock on the inside. Watch our ballistic lab test video for evidence of the safety glass vulnerability.
Lock attack flaw.
Firing at the door on the lock side of the jamb and at the area around the lock will loosen it, allowing entry.
Most American schools remain vulnerable to mass shooting attacks, lacking adequate protective safety measures. Unfortunately, many parents are unaware of significant security deficiencies in their children's schools, putting their children at risk if an Active Shooter attack happens. A comprehensive 'lessons learned' study conducted by the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) in 2023 of five recent mass shootings (2018-2023 ) presents alarming findings. According to the study, the majority of the 112 children, teachers, and staff members killed and injured, were shot within the first four minutes of these attacks and 80 of those were shot in the classroom.
Major deficiency #1 is the unimpeded access to schools. While most main entry doors are secure and feature secure access control, perimeter doors commonly lack adequate security measures, rendering them vulnerable to forced entry. This lack of security facilitates easy access to the school interior, enabling surprise attacks. Four out of the five mass shootings occurred while classes were in session. In three instances, entry was made through a perimeter door. In one instance, entry was made through a main entry door.
Major Deficiency #2 concerns classroom access. Standard classroom wooden doors with a window can be breached in just 14 seconds, placing students and teachers in an immediate life-threatening situation. In the five mass shootings analyzed, 80 out of 112 victims were shot in their classrooms. Standard doors are not made to withstand gunfire. Typical classroom doors have a window near the door lock, set in a narrow mild steel or aluminum frame. When shot multiple times, the standard glass shatters or, if safety glass is used, detaches from the frame. In either case, the attacker can reach in to unlock the door and gain entry to the classroom.
Major Deficiency #3 involves delayed alerts in the event of an active shooter. A delay in alerting the building occupants that an attack is underway resulted in 14 students, teachers, and staff being shot in hallways and stairwells during the initial attack after shots had been fired.
Major Deficiency #4 is the absence of an active assailant alarm system within the building (utilizing strobes and horns). This system would activate upon receiving an alert indicating a life-threatening incident/attack is occurring and is entirely independent of the fire alarm system. Ten students and teachers were shot because they evacuated into a vulnerable area when the fire alarm system activated due to gun smoke, and an active assailant alert had not been issued.
Based on their lessons learned study, the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) has identified nine security and safety measures that should be implemented in every school. Each state should pass a minimum standards school safety bill, using the NTOA's recommended standards. Click on "Take Action" button to find letter templates that you can send to your state representatives and senators to urge them to author, co-author, or co-sponsor a school safety bill. Your letters are critical in getting a school safety bill drafted and passed.
American schools remain vulnerable to mass shooting attacks. The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) has led a study examining five recent mass school shootings (2018-2023). This comprehensive analysis revealed numerous critical school security deficiencies and offered following corrective recommendations.
Deficiency: Inadequate security of existing wood classroom doors resulting in endangerment of children and significant casualties. Solution: replace wooden classroom doors with Ballistic UL Level 8/NIJ Level III doors. These ultra-secure doors - visually identical to the standard ones - blend seamlessly with the school’s interior esthetics while significantly enhancing security.
Deficiency: Multiple casualties occurred when a misleading fire alarm was triggered by gun smoke from an attacker's weapon. The alarm system cannot distinguish between smoke caused by a weapon being fired from the smoke caused by incipient fire. The result was an evacuation that exposed students to the active assailant. Solution: Install building-wide active assailant alarm system with distinctive blue strobes and unique sound, distinguishing between an active assailant attack and a fire alarm emergency/test.
Deficiency: Delayed active shooter 9-1-1 and building wide alert leaving students and staff exposed to the attacker unnecessarily. Solution: Equip teachers, administrative staff, and all school employees with personal alert devices, triggering immediate 9-1-1 notification and activating an active assailant alarm system with strobes and horns.
Deficiency: Some main entry and many perimeter entry/exit doors allow easy access for attackers. Solution: Implement access control measures and strengthen door glass with forced entry breach entry resistant laminates or school safety glass.
The absence of minimum safety standards in schools, compounded by the practice of state governments delegating security decisions to school corporations, has resulted in inconsistent safety measures across educational institutions. As a result, many schools suffer from safety deficiencies, leaving them vulnerable to potential attacks and consequently—mass casualties.
Schools will continue to be unsafe without minimum state or federal standards primarily due to the current absence of such standards. Consequently, school corporations lack understanding about what constitutes effective security measures. This issue is exacerbated by a tendency to downplay concerning gun violence statistics and a misdirected human confidence that such tragedies won't hit close to home – all contributing to a widespread belief that “it can't happen in my school.” Despite their rarity, mass shooting/casualty incidents occur randomly and unpredictably. While it may not be possible to prevent them entirely, given the current high levels of gun violence, it is critical for states to pass minimum school safety standards bills to ensure that every school is equally protected. Here are the root causes for why schools remain unsafe.
In every US state, the responsibility for public safety in schools concerning the Active Assailant threat lies within the jurisdiction of the state Department of Education, rather than the Department of Homeland Security.
Each school corporation independently determines the security measures to protect their schools against the Active Shooter threat. With approximately 17,000 school corporations overseeing 131,000 schools, decision-making regarding security measures is decentralized.
Neither federal nor state authorities have established minimum standards specifying the security measures required in all schools.
There exists a prevalent attitude that 'it can't happen to me,' which significantly abates the level of effort dedicated to safeguarding schools within a school corporation.
From their in-depth analysis of five mass shooting incidents (2018–2023), the NTOA has identified security deficiencies present in most schools. This analysis catalyzed the inception of the Minimum School Safety Standards, intended for implementation in every school across the United States. Initiating change from the current failed security paradigm necessitates a collective endeavor toward a school safety movement, predominantly propelled by parents.
Below are the NTOA recommended 9 minimum standard proactive and safety measures that should be implemented in every school. These safety measures would provide entry control, classroom protection, alert, building alarm, actionable intelligence to 9-1-1 and penetrating wound care.
From 2020 to September 2024, there have been 202 shooting incidents, resulting in 130 deaths and 243 injuries. These statistics clearly show K-12 security has failed and calls for a significant course correction. This revision should be based on the minimum safety standards developed by the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) to protect every school, akin to existing fire life safety codes. Before the establishment of building and fire life safety codes, fire posed the greatest threat to children's lives in schools. Today, it is imperative to establish a safety code that safeguards our children and school staff from mass shooting attacks.
Therefore, we are advocating for every parent to send a letter (provided in the Take Action section) to their legislators, urging their involvement in authoring, co-authoring, or co-sponsoring a school security and safety bill based on the NTOA-recommended minimum standards. The goal is for these standards to be implemented in every school across the United States, with state legislatures authoring minimum standard school safety bills for the 2025 state general assembly’s legislative dockets and ensuring successful passage.
On-location armed security staff do not guarantee the prevention of an attack. Consider the tragic example of the Santa Fe High School shooting, where 10 lives were lost and 13 were wounded, despite the presence of two armed officers in the school. Twenty-three victims were shot in the four-room art complex before an alert was even issued. Due to the unpredictable nature of both timing and location, neither law enforcement nor security personnel can foresee an attack; they can only respond once shots have been fired. The surprise effect is also compounded by the prevalent belief that, "this could never happen to me," it often takes time for those closest to the incident to realize that the sounds are from real gunfire and that the unimaginable is actually happening. The facts are unequivocal: any method other than proactive defense measures won’t prevent casualties.
* https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/a01/violent-deaths-and-shootings
Every classroom should be protected by a ballistic NIJ Level III/UL Level 8 door with a Forced Entry Breach Resistance time of 30 minutes that is certified by an independent ballistic testing.
From 2020 to August 2024, there have been 201 shooting incidents, resulting in 126 deaths and 234 injuries. The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) study uncovered four major security deficiencies, identifying why most American schools are unsafe and vulnerable to mass shootings. A key vulnerability revealed in the study, and further validated through live fire ballistic testing, shows that the standard American school door, constructed of wood with a glass window, is incapable of withstanding gunfire and is not secure. In fact, video evidence demonstrates that these doors can be breached in a mere 14 seconds – an alarming reality. It's crucial to understand that unless an attack is thwarted during its planning stages, law enforcement or security personnel cannot predict an attack; their response begins only after shots have been fired and an alert is sounded.
The easy breach of a classroom door underscores why most children are shot within the first four minutes of an attack, with doors being the weakest link in any mass shooting scenario. We urge you to view our Classroom Attack Video.
A NIJ Level III/UL Level 8 ballistic door is one of the key security measures recommended by (NTOA) as a minimum safety standard. It's specifically designed to protect your child if a shooter targets their classroom. We strongly urge you to take action by contacting your state senator and state representative. You can use the example letters provided in the TAKE ACTION section of our website to advocate for a minimum standards school safety bill. This bill, based on the NTOA's recommended minimum standards, should be introduced in the state's General Assembly for the 2025 session. Given the failed K-12 security paradigm, it's crucial that you, as parents and teachers, take meaningful steps to safeguard our schools and communities. Take action now!
The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) study of 5 school mass shootings revealed that 80 children and teachers were shot in their classroom. This is a lesson that has not been learned for 25 years! The standard American school door, constructed of wood with a window near the lock is incapable of withstanding gunfire and/or other methods of forcible entry. Our Classroom Attack Video, recorded in a licensed ballistic lab, shows that it can be breached in a mere 14 seconds.
It is important to know that in this 25-year era of escalating gun violence and school shooting incidents that the school classroom is the primary point of attack for an active assailant. For the attacker the classroom provides 14-19 targets in a confined space. The average classroom is 30X25ft.
There are two likely methods of attacking a classroom if the door is locked: (1) breaching the classroom window and then firing into the classroom from the opening made by the window breach, and (2) breaching the window and then reaching inside to the door handle to open the door, allowing physical entry for aimed fire on victims.
Method 1 can cause multiple casualties, while Method 2 can result in a massacre with mass casualties. An example of Method 1 is Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, FL (2018). At Marjory Stoneman Douglas, three classrooms were attacked through created window openings, with 18 people shot in less than 2 minutes, resulting in 6 killed and 12 wounded.
Clearly, this door vulnerability and the method of attack on the classroom can quickly cause multiple casualties. The second method, involving physical entry into the classroom, is even more deadly, often resulting in mass casualties. Three examples are (1) Sandy Hook Elementary School, Sandy Hook, CT (2012), (2) Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe, TX (2018), and (3) Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, TX (2022).
At Sandy Hook, two classrooms were physically entered and attacked, resulting in the deaths of 20 children and 2 teachers. Six children escaped from the second classroom under attack when the shooter’s rifle jammed. In the entire attack, 26 were killed and 1 was wounded.
At Santa Fe, the attack occurred after physical entry was made into an art room complex consisting of 4 adjoining rooms. In 3 minutes, 23 people were shot, resulting in 10 killed and 13 wounded.
At Robb Elementary, physical entry was made into two adjoining classrooms, resulting in the deaths of 19 students and 2 teachers, and 17 others wounded. This is the deadliest school mass shooting in U.S. history.
Let’s learn this lesson and introduce a new security standard in American schools, and it is you, parents and grandparents who can make this happen. Show the video evidence to your school board and request that every classroom be protected by a ballistic NIJ Level III/UL Level 8 door with a Forced Entry Breach Resistance time of 30 minutes that is certified by an independent ballistic testing. Act now! Click on the TAKE ACTION button below—make a difference!
Send the letters provided under TAKE ACTION to your state senator and representative that urge their actions to get a school safety bill on the 2025/26 legislative docket.
The SEKURDOOR Hybrid Ballistic Door (NIJ Level III/UL Level 8) is the most practical, cost-effective, and secure door in America, specifically designed to prevent breaches into classrooms. This innovative product is the result of a collaboration between Len Christensen, a senior ballistic engineer and Navy veteran, and Don Jones, the president of NetTalon and an Army infantry Vietnam combat veteran. The door features a cutting-edge hybrid ballistic core developed specifically for school classrooms.
The ballistic core consists of two complementary panels: a heavy, impact-resistant one capable of causing ricochets, and a lightweight one that stops high velocity projectiles. This design achieves a balance between protective strength and manageable weight. The door also includes substantial breach protection for the latch and lock mechanism, reinforced by an advanced ballistic steel lock guard.
Further security is provided by the door’s window, which is positioned vertically and away from the lock. This placement ensures a safe space in the corner of the classroom, in the unlikely event that a small opening is made in the ballistic window and a weapon muzzle is inserted to fire shots inside the room.
The door automatically locks when closed, is lighter in weight, and offers a range of wood veneer species and finish options to match the school’s interior décor. In 2019 and 2020, SEKURDOORS were installed as part of a pilot project in four schools in Indiana.
Lowest-weight, practical, tested ballistic door on the market / US patented
Wide selection of wood veneer and finishes available
Mortise lock, the most secure made, protected by a Ballistic steel lock guard - NIJ Level III
Lock Guard engineered to pose a high ricochet hazard potential to the attacker
Door locks automatically when closed
30*-minute fire rating for door and ballistic window
Ballistic vision window - NIJ Level III/UL Level 8, 90 minutes fire rating, stops all rifle calibers
Window is positioned away from the lock to further impede the possibility of reaching the lock’s interior release.
In addition to ballistic SEKUR doors and bullet-resistant windows, NetTalon’s "Safe School" is equipped with an Internet Protocol (IP)-based security system that includes cameras, sensors, signaling stations, and integrated IP video and in-building countermeasures that are remotely fired. This system provides a real-time information stream directly to 9-1-1 call centers on a NetTalon SEKUR Defense system monitoring and tactual response computer workstation. The workstation enables 9-1-1 operators to act as VIRTUAL RESPONDERS, accessing live video footage from on-site cameras and sensors within two seconds of an alert.
Within moments, a trained 9-1-1 operator can pinpoint the attacker’s exact location and can neutralize the attacker by executing a software firing sequence that immediately discharges in building countermeasures installed in school hallways. The countermeasures are aerosol fire suppression cannisters that produce heavy smoke when fired and are deployed in packages of 3 to 5 cannisters that all fire at the same time. The multiple cannisters create a zone of attack that is called a HOT ZONE. This blinding smoke disorients the attacker who now has no visibility. The system is always live and fully integrated with 9-1-1 services.
The Indiana Sheriffs Association unveiled the system on September 11, 2014, in a formal Blue-Ribbon ceremony as its Best Practice Solution for School Safety. Three hundred people attended, and the event received extensive coverage by the Indianapolis media.
INSIDE THE SAFEST SCHOOL IN AMERICA
Watch the NBC Nightly News investigative report on NetTalon’s Integrated School Defense System.
As part of the Indiana Sheriffs' Association's Best Practice Solution for School Safety, the goal was to establish Southwestern as a model for protecting all Indiana schools through a school safety bill. This bill aimed to incorporate the Southwestern IP-based Defense System into school safety codes, with funding provided by the state.
If successful, Indiana would have set a school safety standard for other states to follow at a time when gun violence has reached historic levels and school shooting incidents with deaths and injuries as well. Unfortunately, this initiative was not enacted and schools remain unsafe.
From 2000 to 2019, there were 354 school shooting incidents, resulting in 322 deaths and 608 injuries. From 2020 to September 5, 2024, there have been 202 school shooting incidents, with 130 fatalities and 243 injuries. The Robb Elementary shooting in May 2022 is now the deadliest mass shooting in K-12 history, surpassing the Columbine massacre in 1999.
Despite the escalating threat, neither state nor federal governments have established minimum safety standards to protect every school or provided the necessary funding to achieve this protection. Southwestern High School has effectively operated in partnership with the Shelby County Sheriff’s 9-1-1 Center for ten years as of September 11, 2024. Numerous tours and demonstrations have been conducted, particularly following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, yet governments have failed to act. Southwestern Elementary joined Southwestern High School in 2017 and is equally protected. The Uvalde Foundation has recognized Southwestern High School with its Non-Violent School Alliance Award for the 2023-2024 school year.
Recognizing the importance of ensuring classrooms are safe spaces, NetTalon’s president in collaboration with a ballistic engineer developed a new type of ballistic door tailored for school settings. In the 2019-2020 school year, NetTalon delivered the first ballistic doors in Indiana to four elementary schools across three school corporations.
Clearly, the current paradigm where each of the US 17,000 school corporations make their own security decisions for their schools is not working. Parents are unaware that their child’s school is likely unsafe and that their child could be placed in an imminent life-threatening situation especially if their classroom is attacked.
The National Tactical Officers Association’s (NTOA) extensive “lessons learned” analysis of the 5 recent school mass shootings (2018-2023) reveals four key deficiencies that allowed 112 children, teachers and staff to be shot, with most casualties happening in 4 minutes. This study identified that 80 of the 112 were shot in their classroom, pointing to the failure of the standard wood classroom door to provide sufficient security. The data speak clearly.
The risk of a mass shooting/casualty incident can be greatly reduced with these 4 priority minimum standards in place.
Upgrade classroom doors that meet Ballistic UL Level 8/NIJ Level III standards.
Implement access control measures and strengthen perimeter door glass with laminates or school safety glass.
Equip all school staff with personal alert devices, triggering immediate 9-1-1 notification.
Install building-wide active assailant alarm system with distinctive blue strobes and unique sound.
Secure perimeter doors will prevent attackers from entering the school after class is in session. Even in case these are breached, children and teachers are safe in their classrooms with a locked NIJ Level III ballistic door that can withstand 30 minutes of continuous attack, providing sufficient time to protect students and staff before the police neutralize the attacker(s). An instant alert device that alerts 9-1-1 to dispatch responders and activates the Active Assailant alarm system notifying everyone that an attack has started and to quickly shelter. Once activated, the alarm system supersedes any activation of the fire alarm system since evacuation triggered by a fire alarm could inadvertently expose students to the shooter(s).
*Uvalde school shooting mass killings data
For more information and detailed data, please click on the links below:
Timeline of shootings since Columbine
Latest government data on school shootings
School shootings in the US by victim count
Many American schools lack adequate protection against mass shooting attacks. The NTOA Lessons Learned study of 5 mass school shootings (2018-2023) revealed that 112 children, teachers and staff were shot, and most of them within the first four minutes of these attacks. Further the study revealed that 80 of the 112 victims were shot in their classrooms. Current standard classroom doors can be breached in just 14 seconds, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Drawing from the history of the Fire Code, we can learn valuable lessons. By law, every building, including schools, is safeguarded by safety measures outlined in the Fire Life Safety code, enforced by the State Fire Marshal through local inspectors. These measures include fire detection and alarm systems, voice evacuation systems, and most schools also have fire sprinkler suppression systems. Additionally, fire building codes mandate illuminated exit signs, fire retardant furniture, desks, ceiling tiles, and fire-rated classroom doors. The success of these codes in protecting school populations and reducing deaths and injuries is evident in the data from the past five years. Over this period, there were approximately 16,150 school fires resulting in 5 deaths and 195 injuries. On average, U.S. fire departments responded to 3,230 structure fires in schools each year from 2014 to 2018, resulting in one civilian death and 39 civilian injuries annually. Clearly, the Fire Code is effective.
It is astounding to see that the absence of active assailant security standards in American schools has resulted in a much greater life risk in school even though there are 64 times as many fires as shootings. From the 2000–01 to 2021–22 school years, there were 1,375 school shootings at public and private elementary and secondary schools, resulting in 515 deaths and 1,161 injuries*.
*https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2024/05/24/uvalde-school-shooting-mass-killings-data-us-texas-deaths-victims-robb-elementary/73730162007/
Schools will remain unsafe in your state unless your legislature passes a minimum standards school safety bill that is funded and based on the NTOA recommended standards. The first opportunity is the 2025 state legislative sessions. Go to TAKE ACTION and get your letters to your state senator and representative. You want to follow up with phone calls to get status and bill number. You can monitor the bill’s progress on the General Assembly website.
John Allen ‐ Mr. Allen is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina and a 1967 graduate of The Citadel. After one year of coaching freshman football and baseball at The Citadel he entered the US Army as an infantry second lieutenant. He attended Airborne and Ranger training, later becoming a member of the elite 5th Special Forces Group. Upon completion of his training, Mr. Allen was assigned to the Phoenix operations in Southeast Asia under the command of the ClA's Chief, William Colby, who later became ClA Director and close friend for many years until Mr. Colby's untimely death in April 1996.
After his return from Southeast Asia, Mr. Allen began a career in intelligence in areas of the world including Central and South America, China, Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. His expertise in Counter Terrorism and special weapons, including biological weapons, has given him a wide range of unique opportunities which included the coordination of all US government agencies' counter terrorism response teams for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles to the dismantlement of the largest biological warfare facility in the world built by the Soviets and located in Kazakhstan. He is the only person in history to have had the responsibility for dismantling a biological warfare facility. He has appeared numerous times over the years on Fox News in Washington DC as an expert commentator on Counter Terrorism.
ln 1981, Mr. Allen moved to Washington, DC to work at the White House for President Ronald Reagan. After his tenure at the White House, he founded the consulting firm of John Allen & Associates lnternational. Since its founding in 1982, the company has been active in a wide range of projects in over 65 countries. Mr. Allen has served on advisory committees for six US Presidents and has extensive experience working with Congress, senior policy‐making officials in almost all federal agencies in addition to many high‐level foreign officials and Heads of State.
Due to his years of experience in foreign relations, he was selected by three separate US Secretaries' of Commerce to accompany them on Presidential Trade Missions. These Trade Missions included the very first US Presidential Trade Mission to Russia with the late Secretary Ron Brown in 1995, the Middle East with Secretary William Daley in 1998, and in December of 2002 to South America with Secretary Don Evans.
Upon his return from South American with Secretary Evans in December of 2002, Mr. Allen and his family left Washington DC and moved to Greensboro, NC. He continues to stay involved in several international ventures and travels frequently to the Middle East and Europe.
William Hunter D.D.S. ‐ was raised on a small cotton farm in the Mississippi Delta out from Cleveland, MS. He received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Mississippi State University and worked for several years as a test instrumentation engineer in the Aerospace Environmental Facility at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, TN.
He then made a major career change into the medical field finally ending with a specialty license in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has been in the private practice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Columbia, TN for 39 years. He continues to practice with his son who is also an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. He has staff privileges at the Maury Regional Medical Center and the Southern Tennessee Regional Medical Center.
He brings a common-sense approach to problem-solving has a proven ability to address issues requiring spontaneous, innovative solutions beyond established norms.
He and his wife Carolyn have been active members of the First Family Church since moving to Columbia. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Paul began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office where, as a member of the Homicide Unit, he was entrusted with significant cases including numerous capital murder prosecutions. Paul was also selected to serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorney to assist in the coordination of a joint federal and local arson task force that culminated in the successful investigation and prosecution of the Quaker Lace factory arson, which was subsequently selected as a model for arson investigations and prosecutions nationwide.
An active trial attorney, Paul has tried in excess of 130 cases to a jury verdict. He has successfully defended countless professional liability matters, including medical and legal malpractice cases. He represents physicians, physician groups, nurses, psychiatrists, hospitals, long-term care facilities and veterinarians in medical liability matters. In addition, he counsels attorneys, law firms and real estate agents in professional liability actions as well as professional licensing prosecutions. Paul also represents builders and contractors in construction cases, as well as government agencies in civil rights cases.
Paul trained as a mediator at Pepperdine University’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. He serves as a neutral arbitrator in alternative dispute resolution proceedings and is certified to serve as an arbitrator in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Paul brings a unique perspective to the dispute resolution process, drawing from his background and extensive experience as a trial attorney. He places a priority on facilitating communication and promoting a positive negotiation process for all involved. Known for his empathy and integrity, Paul believes that an effective mediator not only develops a knowledge of the unique facts and issues of each case, but also takes the time to get to know the parties involved in each negotiation to determine their needs and keep the focus on the key issues.
Paul received his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame and his juris doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a business editor of The American Criminal Law Review.
Paul and his wife Michelle reside in Coopersburg, PA and are the proud parents of Patrick, a member of the United States Naval Academy class of 2026.
Drawing from his combat military experience and commitment to protecting vulnerable environments, NetTalon’s president and CEO, Don Jones exposes the inadequacies of current K-12 security systems and his concern about the rising number of school shootings and the failure of state governments and the federal government to protect their schools from the Active Shooter life threat with the same rigor they apply to fire protection.
Throughout our website, we provide you with casualty data so you know the life risk to your children. The victims being killed in school shootings are mostly children but also include teachers and some staff. Every child, teacher, and staff member killed means heartbreak and a life never again the same, as the hole in one’s heart never mends. Every life lost is a son, daughter, or spouse taken in a senseless tragedy that need not happen.
EVERY LIFE IS A TREASURE
I have chosen to share a personal moment. In the picture is me on the day I left for Vietnam in June 1968, at the height of the war, as an Army Infantry 1st Lt. My mother is on my left, a special aunt on my right, and two of my mother’s brothers at the ends. They came to say goodbye and comfort my mother when I left. As an infantry lieutenant, my odds of coming home were not good. That afternoon, my mother walked with me to the waiting cab. She turned to me, and we hugged, and she said to me, “Donnie, please come home!” Both of us were in tears.
Make sure your child comes home from school! Now that you know the risk, please take action to ensure your child’s school is protected by minimum standards, which include making your child’s classroom a protected space. Right now, your child is not safe if an attack happens.
Don Jones
CEO – NetTalon
Dear Parents, Teachers, and Concerned Community Members,
I'm Don Jones, President and Co-founder of NetTalon Security Systems. Our cutting-edge technology has been safeguarding Southwestern High School since 2014 and Southwestern Elementary School since 2018, providing a secure connection to 9-1-1 for alert, actionable intelligence, and the capability to remotely activate countermeasures to hinder an active assailant. Our system at Southwestern was featured on the NBC Today Show - Jeff Rossen Special Report on September 8, 2015, and re-aired in 2018 on Nightly News following the tragic events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Southwestern has earned a reputation as one of the safest schools in America.
My background as a former Army Infantry first Lieutenant with a combat tour in Vietnam during 1968-69 at the age of 23, framed my deep commitment to ensuring safety, particularly in environments where vulnerability should never be a concern, such as schools. Having faced imminent life-and-death situations myself, I understand firsthand the terror children have experienced being in a classroom under attack and the devastating impact of gunshot wounds. The reality is that with the ever-increasing gun violence the Active assailant threat will continue: the most gunshot deaths in school (50) happened in 2022. The decentralized approach to K-12 security has proven ineffective, leaving our children exposed to unacceptable life-endangering risks. And while it is true that it is unlikely to happen your child’s school, it will happen in someone’s school, and they will say “I never thought it could happen to me”.
Today, parents are unaware of the security deficiencies that are most likely in their child’s school and the life risk these deficiencies pose if an attack happens. Every child is a treasure, and every parent deserves the peace of mind knowing that their child's learning environment is secure. Recognizing the urgent need for change, NetTalon is engaged in an America wide campaign to raise parent awareness. Our goal is simple: to empower every parent with knowledge about their child's safety risks, along with viable solutions to address these risks and other critical security deficiencies present in schools today. If an attack happens you want your child secure and safe and in your arms at reunification. Today, there is great life risk in every school. You can change that. You can make a difference. Take action!
Our website serves as a resource hub, providing invaluable information and actionable steps for concerned parents like you to advocate for meaningful change. Together we can make a difference. Let's take action, united in our determination to safeguard our children's futures.
Don Jones
CEO – NetTalon
The NetTalon and NTOA school safety initiative is spearheaded by NetTalon’s founder and CEO, Donald R. Jones, a Vietnam War veteran and recipient of the Silver Star, our nation’s third highest decoration for gallantry under fire. Mr. Jones, along with three other co-founders, established NetTalon in 1998 with the vision of creating a web-based emergency response system that could connect protected facilities to a 9-1-1 center, providing alert and actionable intelligence through a unique graphic display. This innovative approach earned three patents. The technology underwent rigorous testing by the Baton Rouge police and fire services in 2005 and 2006, resulting in significant success.
The success of the technology led to the passage of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 42 by the Louisiana General Assembly in 2007, advocating for the implementation of Virtual Command to enhance emergency services. In response to the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, where 32 individuals were killed and 17 wounded, the founders of NetTalon focused on enhancing Virtual Command to address active shooter attacks. Mr. Jones conducted extensive studies of the attack and developed lessons learned to improve response time, locate the attacker in real-time and protect the classroom. Engineering efforts then began on developing a wireless fob alert system, a tracking system with motion detectors integrated with cameras a live IP video, a classroom signaling station for real-time classroom status updates, and a hardened classroom door.
In May 2008, a prototype system was tested during comparative exercises at McKinley Middle School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The exercises spanned two days and utilized paintball weapons. On Day 1, the Virtual Command (VC) reported 2 casualties, whereas the exercise without it resulted in 25 casualties. On Day 2, the VC casualties increased to 5, while the comparative exercise recorded a total of 47 casualties. Mr. Jones played a leading role in coordinating the tests and training all participants, including students, teachers, EMT personnel, police exercise controllers, and law enforcement participants. Between 2011 and 2013, Mr. Jones innovated further, developing remote countermeasure capabilities and a method to differentiate friend from foe through sensor data, resulting in four additional patents.
In the spring of 2013, following the Sandy Hook massacre in December 2012,the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) became aware of NetTalon’s Virtual Command Active Shooter technology. This led to a partnership between Mr. Jones, NetTalon, and ISA Executive Director Steve Luce to establish an operational Virtual Command site in Indiana – the first of its kind in America. The operational site, located at Southwestern Consolidated School District’s high school, was connected via a VPN to Shelby County’s Sheriff’s 9-1-1 call center, providing alert, actionable intelligence, and remote counterattack capabilities.
In 2023, Mr. Jones formed a new alliance with Thor Eells, the Executive Director of the National Tactical Officers Association, to launch a national social media parent awareness and action campaign. The goal of this campaign is to inform parents about major security deficiencies in K-12 schools, which were identified in the NTOA lessons learned study of 5 mass shootings (2018-2023) that resulted in 112 children, teachers and staff being shot and to empower them to advocate for meaningful life safety changes. The avenue for driving change will be parents reaching out to their state senators and representatives, urging the introduction of a school safety minimum standards bill in their respective 2025 general assembly legislative sessions, based on the NTOA recommended school safety minimum standards.
In the absence of minimum standards, there is a growing trend for school corporations to rely on School Resource Officers and/or the arming of teachers to prevent mass shootings and mass casualty events. The 2023 NTOA "Lessons Learned" study of five school mass shootings, which is being made public on this site, identified specific protective measures that would have prevented 109 of the 112 victims from being shot. It’s essential to acknowledge that in critical life-and-death situations, reactive solutions begin sometime after the attack has started. The responder is behind the incident response timeline and the time of rescue can be uncertain due to a myriad of factors that can affect human response. Security officers or arming teachers are part of the solution but should not be the primary solution. Let's examine a scenario within a four-minute timeline.
0 minutes
The attacker always has the advantage of surprise. The belief that “it won’t happen here” delays reactions. Past evidence is unequivocal: Noise from when the initial gunshots are fired are most likely not immediately identified as gun shots. It can take anywhere from 20 seconds to over a minute for an alert to sound. Moreover, the alert's effectiveness depends on the school's system.
2 minutes
Panic spreads as teachers and students barricade themselves. By the second minute, the shooter likely breaches the second classroom, causing mass casualties. Video evidence shows a classroom door can be breached in 14 seconds, with a massacre possible in under a minute.
3 minutes
By the third minute, if an SRO or armed response team is present, they must engage the attacker. Acquiring actionable intelligence is imperative to prevent mistakes that could endanger their own lives and fail to prevent further casualties. Essential questions must be promptly addressed: “Where is the shooter? How many shooters are there? What weapons are they wielding?” Obtaining this information is crucial, but time is of the essence.
4 minutes
As we approach minute four, we know from past incidents that most casualties occur within the first four minutes.
There is a widespread but irrational belief that a school mass shooting and possible mass casualty event "can’t happen to me." This belief is likely linked to the large number of schools—131,000—compared to the number of school shooting incidents per year. For example, to date, in 2024 there have been 51 school shooting incidents, 4 of which have been mass shootings (4 or more shot). So, even though this sentiment has some truth, it is the wrong way to look at it. Rather, the focus should be on the loss of life and gunshot injuries to children, teachers, and staff. In the 51 school shooting incidents, there were 22 killed and 67 wounded. This loss of life and the gunshot injuries, which can require multiple surgeries and be life-altering, should be the primary concern and essential factor in establishing security and safety codes in state schools to keep children and teachers safe.
Let’s compare the active shooter loss of life and injuries to those caused by fire. The U.S. Fire Service reports an average of 3,236 structural school fires per year, with 1 death and 39 injuries. The difference is that every school is equally protected by fire life safety and building codes, whereas there are no school safety, security, and life safety codes to protect children and teachers from an active attack.
As gun violence and mass shootings have increased in the US, so too have school shooting incidents. In 1999, when the Columbine High School mass shooting and casualty incident happened, there were 70 mass shootings that year. The 2010s were the deadliest decade for schools in US history, and the 2020s are on a trajectory to be deadlier. From 2010–2019, there were 265 school shooting incidents resulting in 207 killed and 385 wounded.
During this period, gun violence in the US increased dramatically. For example, in 2014, there were 272 mass shootings in the US compared to 70 in 1999. In 2019, the number of mass shootings in the US was 414. In 2022, when the Robb Elementary mass shooting and casualty incident happened, there were 646 mass shootings in the US that year. From 2020 to September 2024, there have been 202 school shooting incidents with 130 killed and 243 wounded.
Join us in advocating for the introduction of minimum safety standards in school building codes across the US. Watch our Classroom Attack video and TAKE ACTION.
Historical examples include the Women’s Suffrage Movement, which led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920, and the Civil Rights Movement, which resulted in the Civil Rights Act of July 2, 1964, securing equality for Black Americans. Similarly, the current governmental failure to protect children, teachers, and staff in schools will likely persist unless a powerful school safety movement emerges—one that motivates legislatures to pass laws that provide the necessary protections that are currently absent.
School shootings are occurring more frequently now than at any other time in U.S. history. In the 1950s and 1960s, these incidents were rare. This began to change in the 1970s, when there were 46 reported incidents. The threat to life increased dramatically in the 1990s, with 121 incidents resulting in 114 deaths and 200 injuries. This escalating danger culminated in the tragic mass shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, where 34 children and staff were shot. Columbine became the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history at the time, shocking the nation. It likely marked the point when the “active shooter” mindset—focused on maximizing the number of victims—turned into a devastating trend that has continued to inspire further school attackers. Classrooms, due to their confined spaces, offer attackers many potential targets.
In the 2010s there was a dramatic increase in mass shootings in the U.S. in all venues. For example, in 2014 there were 272 mass shootings and by 2019 there were 414. Correspondingly, the 2010s were the deadliest decade for school shootings in U.S. history, with 265 incidents leading to 207 deaths and 385 injuries. Despite the efforts of organizations like Sandy Hook Promise, the Indiana Sheriffs' Association’s NetTalon / Southwestern Safe School Initiative, Moms Demand Action, and the Parkland families (including advocates like Max Schachter and many students), schools have not become significantly safer. State and federal governments have failed to take sufficient action, despite the horrific mass casualty incidents at Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Santa Fe.
The 2020s are on a trajectory to be even worse than the 2010s. In May 2022, the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School became the deadliest K-12 school shooting in U.S. history.
Since the Columbine mass shooting and mass casualty incident in 1999, the active shooter threat has grown to be the greatest life threat to children in schools. Despite this, state governments have failed to pass laws mandating minimum school safety, security, and protective measures to safeguard state schools. In contrast, during the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, they enacted fire life safety and building codes to protect students and staff from fires.
Unlike their response to the fire threat, every state government has delegated school safety to the state Department of Education, making each school district responsible for addressing the active shooter threat on its own. As a result, every school district takes a different approach to security in the absence of guidance from state governments. Further, funding resources significantly impact a district’s decisions on which security measures to implement.
This approach is not working. To date, in the 2020s, there have been 202 school shooting incidents, resulting in 130 killed and 243 wounded. The 2020s are on track to be the deadliest decade for school shootings in U.S. history. The question is, why have state governments not implemented security and safety codes to protect children, teachers, and staff from the active shooter threat? The answer may lie in the relatively small number of shooting incidents compared to the 131,000 schools in the U.S. and the 1,000+ schools typically found in each state.
For example, in 2024 alone, there have been 51 school shooting incidents, 4 of which were mass shootings (involving 4 or more people shot). In these 51 incidents, there have been 22 killed and 67 wounded. Despite the ongoing and serious threat, responses have been largely driven by statistics rather than by the real human toll—the loss of life and injuries endured by those simply attending school. This statistical approach risks overlooking the personal, devastating impact on students, families, and communities affected by these tragic events. Focusing primarily on numbers may obscure the urgency and need for concrete action to protect American schools. A strictly numbers-based calculation could explain the prevalent “it can’t happen to me” attitude.
This argument is further illustrated by comparing the frequency and impact of structural fires in schools each year. The U.S. Fire Service reports an average of 3,236 structural school fires per year, with, on average, only 1 death and 36 injuries due to required fire-protective measures. The active assailant threat must be examined from a loss-of-life and injury perspective, with the understanding that the interval between active shooter mass casualty incidents is shortening as gun violence escalates.
Consider that this loss will continue until schools are adequately protected against this ongoing threat. Following the Columbine mass casualty shooting in 1999 (34 shot), the next mass casualty incident was Virginia Tech in 2007 (48 shot) — an 8-year interval. The next was Sandy Hook in 2012 (26 shot) — a 5-year interval. Then came Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, FL, in 2018 (34 shot) — a 6-year interval. Just three months later, the Santa Fe High School shooting in Santa Fe, TX, occurred in May 2018 (23 shot) — a 3-month interval. Four years later, in 2022, the Robb Elementary mass casualty shooting happened in Uvalde, TX (35 shot). The most recent incident is Apalachee High School in Winder, GA, on September 4, 2024 (13 shot), a 2-year interval.
None of these mass casualty incidents would have occurred if the classrooms had been protected by an NIJ Level III ballistic door, one of the NTOA-recommended minimum school safety/security standards.
Meaningful change will only happen if you and other parents in every school district in every state take action by contacting your legislators using the school safety letters provided on this site. It is important for everyone to follow up with phone calls to request updates on a funded school safety bill—whether it is being drafted, placed on the legislative docket, in committee, or scheduled for a vote.
NetTalon and the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) agree that meaningful change in school security and safety will only happen if millions of parents with children in schools get involved in a grassroots school safety movement. This movement can grow organically through individual actions. We urge every parent, teacher, and anyone else who’s concerned about school safety to take action.
There are several ways to take action and stay involved:
Alert your school board and Request that classrooms be protected by an NIJ Level III/UL Level 8 ballistic door. An NTOA representative will support your presentation. Also, be sure to share the minimum standards with your school board. Additionally, schedule time at monthly school board meetings to present the classroom attack video and the comparative attack video.
Contact a State Legislative Representative and follow up with biweekly calls to their offices to ask about the status of a school safety bill. If everyone participates, a school safety bill with minimum standards, funded by the state, can become a reality.
Become a school safety ambassador by joining our socials, joining various social groups dedicated to this cause, and downloading and sharing resources from the ambassador resource section on your socials, sharing this website, and sharing the videos from our Youtube channel.
After 24 years of inadequate school security and continued loss of life, the only way to achieve real change is through a unified school safety movement. Everyone, please—TAKE ACTION now.
