Ballistic and Blast Resistant Protection for Your Church

It was a Sunday morning on September 16, 1963.  The members of the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama were just finishing up Sunday school.  At about 10:22 a.m. there was a sudden, deafening explosion that stopped the hearts of four of the girls in the bathroom, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Addie Mae Collins, all 14, and Denise McNair, 11. Nearly two dozen others were injured.  Someone had slipped beneath the vast brick church, and planted 19 sticks of dynamite under the bathroom.  The explosion destroyed cars on the street outside and blew out stained glass windows nearly 100 feet away. 

Between 1963 and 2019 there have been approximately 44 churches damaged by explosives.  As you can see, church bombings are still a possibility in today’s world, and not just in other countries.  The greatest danger in a bomb blast attack is from flying shards of glass, causing 90% of all bomb-related injuries.  Even if not considered to be a target, powerful shock waves from this type of high-velocity attack emanate in all directions and cause devastation for a long distance.

So today, I want to talk about protection from bullets and explosive devices using various types of bullet proof glass.  Now the term bulletproof glass is thrown around a lot these days, especially as this country continues to face a rash of mass-shootings in churches, schools and other public areas.  However, the term bulletproof is actually a bit misleading because no glass is truly 100% impervious to bullets.  With enough time, effort and a large enough caliber bullet, a motivated person can get through any “bulletproof” structure (be it glass or plastic). 

Active shooter threats have created a new problem requiring technologies that help “keep the bad guy outside” without making churches or schools look like a fortified prison. 

There Are Three Primary Types Of Bullet-Resistant Glass (Often Called Bulletproof):

1) Acrylic Bullet Resistant Glass:

Acrylic is a very dense, hard, clear plastic that looks like glass. One piece of acrylic over an inch of thickness is considered bullet resistant. It weighs about half of what glass does and will stop many caliber bullets. 

The negative aspect of this type of material is that Acrylic Bullet Resistant Glass can eventually break with the repeated impact and it is more difficult to cut and reduce the size.  Bullet-resistant glass is more expensive than regular glass.   It cost more, and sometimes too pricey as it can add a couple of thousand dollars more to your construction project.  Bullet resistant glass also weighs significantly more than the standard glass. 

2) Polycarbonate Bullet Resistant Glass:

Polycarbonate is also plastic but is different than acrylic.  It is even lighter than acrylic which makes it easier to work with, especially when dealing with thickness. The main difference is polycarbonate catches the bullets while acrylic repels them.  Bullet resistant polycarbonate is one of the thinnest ballistic protection options available.  Laminated polycarbonate systems can meet UL level 1 bullet resistance at just ¾”.  This means that it is fairly light and easy to fabricate, cut, shape, notch, drill, and fasten into place.  Those characteristics allow it to be produced and installed efficiently, making it a simple and relatively affordable option. 

The negative aspect of Polycarbonate Bullet Resistant Glass does have a slight tint to it. And since bullet resistant polycarbonate is made out of multiple layers, it does not offer water-like clarity. This often means that it’s not the ideal option for transaction windows or exterior systems where you want to let a fair amount of light into the space.  Polycarbonate is also not quite as durable as actual glass.  So it can scratch or show other signs of wear over time.  It is also only at its most effective when used in systems that meet the standards of UL levels 1-3.  So it is not ideal for building that require higher levels of ballistic protection.  No material is truly “bullet proof.”  So it won’t necessarily be able to stop every type of ballistic threat.  But it is a great option for added protection in many instances.

3) Glass Treated with Film:

This type of bullet resistant glass is actually glass layered on top to give it strength and flexibility.  Specialty adhesives are used in this method and attachment frames to keep the glass and film in place after a strike.  The benefit of this type of bullet repelling method is nearly any existing window can be made resistant, often times making it more cost-effective than the previous two methods.  And Shatter-Resistant Window Film is the focus of this post.

Glass Treated with Film, commonly known as Shatter-Resistant Window Film (SRWF), is a laminate used to improve post-failure performance of existing windows. Applied to the interior or exterior face of glass, SRWF holds the fragments of broken glass together in one sheet, thus reducing the projectile hazard of flying glass fragments. SRWF is essentially a fragment reduction film, since the methodology behind this hazard mitigation technique is focused upon retaining glass fragments resulting from blast overpressures or impact by an object.

SRWFs are packaged as rolls that are generally available in widths as small as 24 inches and as large as 72 inches, depending on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers laminate multiple layers of film together in order to enhance performance. Whether one-ply or multi-ply, the overall film thickness can range from 2 to 25 millimeters (mm).

There are different types of anti-shatter film installation methods. Depending on the required fragment retention performance and budget constraints, shatter-resistant window protection can be installed on the glass only (known as a daylight application) or physically attached to the window frame (known as attached or mechanical systems).

During an earthquake or tornado, windows can be subjected to tremendous stress. They may shatter and fall out of window frames, causing dangerous openings in the building. Falling shards of glass can also present serious risks to occupants, pedestrians and property. 

If, like many medium to large size churches, you have a large surface area of glass such as between the lobby and sanctuary, this is an excellent way to increase your ability to protect your congregation, whether it be from acts of nature or an active shooter event.  Nothing in this world is perfect but this solution can be very effective.

In my next post we will be discussing how to respond to a bomb threat and the appropriate way to search for a bomb. 

Be Safe!

Russ Sharrock 

I have made available for you a FREE Do-it-Yourself risk assessment form.  It's a Word document so you can make any changes necessary to fit your church size and needs. 

For a copy of the Do-it-Yourself risk assessment form, or if you have any questions, you can contact me at: 

Integrity Security Consulting

Russ Sharrock

405-762-2471 | integrityseccon@hotmail.com