It might be the way of keeping kids safe in the classroom from gun violence. A company is developing what you may call a bullet-proof chair.
It may not look like much, but it could potentially protect your children against bullets. William Delaney is one of two people behind the Safety Pac, and said the hope is to get it in South Florida schools.
"I think we all have events in our lives when we remember where we were. I had picked up my grandson, he went in his room and then I turned on the news. The first thing I saw was Sandy Hook," said Delaney, who is the Vice President of the National Police Support Team.
The inspiration came from an event that shocked the nation and beyond. 26 people, 20 of them children, dead after a gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, three years ago.
"The Safety Pac was concealed in a teacher's mind, and the idea was something that could sit behind a chair," Delaney explained. He said that teacher wants to remain anonymous but she initially went to him with her idea.
The organization has donated bullet-proof canine vests to different South Florida police departments. Delaney said the hope now is for that to be done with this for schools.
The Safety Pac has pockets for school supplies and it would sit at the back of a chair, protecting the back of a child sitting at a desk and in case of an emergency, that child could pick it up and wear it on their back.
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"If you run, grab the Safety Pac off the chair. It's a no-brainer," Delaney explained, who also said there is a patent pending for the product.
NBC 6 put it to the test at a local shooting range, with different firearms. We found out it works just like a bullet-proof vest.
"Everybody loves the idea, but I don't need pats on the back. I need help," Delaney said, referencing how each one costs about $275.
Delaney is hoping people in the community will come forward to help make this a reality for children. To learn more about the Safety Pac, click here.
