Dear Texas Legislature - Let's Protect Our Homes and Offices

26 Feb 2013

Honorable Members of the Texas Legislature

Did you know that Certified Security Window Film would:

·        Have delayed the Newtown Sandy Hook shooter from entering the glass building, giving police time to arrive and students’ time to take shelter?

·        Protects Texas homeowners from burglar break-ins?

·        Protects Texas offices and homes from hurricane and tornado wind-borne debris that breaches glass?

·        Saves energy by cutting solar heat and harmful UV – enough to pay for itself over time?

·        Was installed on all federal buildings in Washington DC after 9/11 – for explosion protection?

·        Would lower insurance losses from storms and theft?

Nearly 40% of our population lives near the coast, subject to the threat of hurricane-force winds every year. All of our population live in areas hit by break-ins 24/7 365 days a year. Glass is the weakest link of every building – a burglar or a shooter can break and enter unprotected glass in less than two seconds!

We put Security Window film on a lady’s house last summer. Five (5) days later someone tried to break through one of her windows which had our film, and failed to get in.  Chase Tower in Houston sustained over $5 million in damages during Hurricane IKE due to windows being sucked out by the winds. Our film would have avoided those damages, and millions of dollars in similar damages caused by window breaks. We are currently installing it on a DEA office in Houston to provide Level 2 blast protection.

Solar film only blocks the sun – it has no breach resistant qualities. Security Window Film is four times thicker and can block the sun as well as “armor the glass” which is the weakest link of every building.

Security Window film costs a fraction of Shutters and Impact Glass – its three to ten times less.

With bigger storms and more crime, every building should add Security Window Film that is certified for a Large Missile Impact (4.5 lb Level C – ASTM 1186/1996) and Miami Dade PA-201 and 203 for hurricane-force winds. If so, Texas property owners would save millions in property losses and energy costs; Insurance companies would save millions in claims from break-ins and storm losses.

Please check out our website for more information. Few Texas architects and builders are aware of this vital technology that is protecting our nation’s capital.  www.ArmorGlass.com

Meteor Explosion Over Russia Injures Thousands from Glass

A ten-ton meteor over Russia today blew out countless windows, causing over a thousand people to be hurt by flying glass as the sonic boom blew out windows.

While this is not a common event (we hope) it does show yet another reason why Armor Glass Security Film protects people from flying glass caused by explosion and, in this case, supersonic concussion waves caused by the visitor from outer space. The news report stated:

"Many of the injured were cut by flying glass as they flocked to windows, curious about what had produced such a blinding flash of light."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/02/15/injuries-reported-after-meteorite-falls-in-russia-ural-mountains/#ixzz2Kzv6hiwM

"Some meteorite fragments fell in a reservoir outside the town of Chebarkul. The crash left a 26-foot-wide crater in the ice. The shock wave blew in more than 1 million square feet of glass, according to city officials, who said 3,000 buildings in the city were damaged"

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/02/15/injuries-reported-after-meteorite-falls-in-russia-ural-mountains/#ixzz2Kzvcjw4W

We are currently installing our security film on a DEA office - to protect it from human caused explosions, as well as a window breach caused by a hurricane. It's just not practical to put shutters or plywood on office buildings when Armor Glass can be cutting the solar heat, saving energy costs while protecting from meteors and terrorists with a bomb...

check out out.

Hurricane Force Winds on Chase Bank on Long Island Tonight - Protected by Armor Glass

"Nemo" is bringing HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS to NY and Long Island tonight, not to mention up to two feet of Snow seen for the first time this winter.

But a Chase Bank in Oakdale, on Long Island, IS protected from these killer winds tossing debris through its windows, which include 10 foot x 13 foot panes of bare glass. They are protected because we put Armor Glass Security Film on them in October 2009, a beautiful time before the unkind winds of winter arrive. They told us it was the first use of Security Film on Long Island. Little did I know how much they would be needing it.

Since then New York and Long Island have had a major storm EVERY year since, including Irene and Sandy. Today its NEMO which has the same hurricane-force winds that through debris through unprotected glass. Tomorrow it will be another storm threat.

GOOD LUCK to you in NEMO...

I wish ALL of you (and everyone else) had Armor Glass protection during this, and future Hurricane-force storms....There is nothing worse than a window breaking during a burglary or a storm, or a shooting, to ruin your day.

Armor Your Glass. Get Protected. Have a Better Day instead! It saves you money and can save your life.

Protecting Schools from Shooters with Armor Glass

We have been getting a lot of calls from schools around the country as well as Houston.

Why? They are investigating using Armor Glass Security film on their glass.

Why? Two words: Sandy Hook.

One of the callers told me that they had looked into Bullet-proof glass. They found it wouldn't work for two big reasons: COST and Construction constraints.

Bullet proof glass is Pentagon price Plus in cost. At best they could do a small part before running of of money. It's also HEAVY.  The school found that using it would require a lot of structural changes that made no economic sense. It's a SLOW process.

So they turned to Armor Glass to find out more about our Large Missile certified Security films.  Could we be the solution that they are looking for to increase their security?

I told them that our films are GSA 3a/3b Level 2 explosion rated (we are currently putting it on a DEA facility for that reason). I also told them that will NOT stop a Bullet (no film will), but it's vital for another reason - it will delay entry, giving the school kids and staff critical time to take shelter and contact police. It would provide time that the kids in Sandy Hook never had.

A shooter would have to puncture the film, a bullet at a time, enough times for a human body to enter. That takes time. With bare glass, one bullet will blow out the glass and the shooter is in within a second or two.  Our film is bonded to the frames with a special structural sealant which provides frame support for the thick protective film and glass.  So each bullet will only leave a small bullet hole. Making enough holes to get the shooter inside will buy valuable time for those inside.
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Our films also come in a security tint that lets the inside occupants see out during the day - but blocks the view inside by those outside. That would keep a shooter from seeing inside the building like is possible with clear, bare glass. I first noticed this when we were working on a courthouse. It can be applied to any glass "to armor the glass" without the need for architectural changes.

Security guards are expensive and can't be everywhere all the time. If they are killed by the shooter, then the school has zero protection. Armor Glass security film could also protect the internal security team. It could give a security person time to get to the scene before the shooter could get into the building.  It gives time to call 911 and put kids in a safe room.

Security guards don't cut the solar heat coming through the glass or cut a school's energy bill costs. Armor Glass Solar Security film will. It even cuts 99% of harmful UV.

This is just one more vital advantage of Armor Glass security films.

Suicide Bomber in U.S. Embassy TURKEY - Armor Glass protection

A suicide bomber just blew himself up in a screening room for the U.S. Embassy in Turkey.  A Turkish woman reporter waiting to meet our Ambassador was injured.  A Turkish guard was killed, along with the bomber.

Armor Glass Security film can't  help once the bomber is in the same room with you - unless it is on the glass between you and the explosion, because it IS Level 2 BLAST - RATED. That's more than the normal GSA 3a/3b requirement.

Monday we begin armoring the glass of a vital federal agency that would be disabled if a bomber were to explode a bomb outside its building. That would send glass spraying like a grenade through the building, killing and injuring instantly. But not if our special Armor Glass film was anchored to the frames.

A lady came up to me at a trade show this week and said that on the Michael Berry radio show a lady was describing how she was sitting at home at 8 p.m. last Friday when men threw something through her front glass window. Before she could act, they attacked her. It could have ended worse than it did.


If Armor Glass had been on her glass, they would have made a hell of a sound as the flying brick hit the glass - but would NOT have broken through the glass. Our Security Film is certified for a Large Missile Impact or even an explosion.  It is rated to resist a "Large" 4.5 lb Missile (like a brick).

Armor GLass SECURITY film would have slowe their entry and given her TIME she needed. She would have more time to call 911, grab a gun, all of the above - instead of being instantly attacked.

Armor Glass would have given the teachers and students in Newtown's Sandy Hook VALUABLE TIME since it would have delayed the shooter from breaching its glass walls. It only takes a second to blow out unprotected glass with a bullet. The film would allow the bullet hole but the shooter would have to shoot enough to create room for an entire person to enter the glass wall. That is time the occupants would have to leave or shelter in place and time for police to arrive and engage the shooter - time the students at Sandy Hook never had. A tempered glass wall would blow out with the first shot without Armor Glass Security Film applied with an approved Structural Sealant frame bonding securing it to the frames, providing a defense not possible with bare glass.

AND to add to that unique aspect, it is a "Carbon NEGATIVE" product (it SAVES more energy than it takes to make it). It saves ENERGY -- enough energy to pay for itself -- WHILE CUTTING UV 99%.  What could be better than than something that both saves energy and protects people - and costs less than the alternatives?

Why be unprotected as storms get bigger, and the break-ins bolder? Why not Armor your WEAKEST LINK?  Glass is the weakest link of every building....

Act before it happens to you. You never know - the world is full of bombers, hurricanes, burglars and more intense storms as the air becomes warmer....

Narrating a PowerPoint on Security Window Film

Spent last 5 hours narrating a PowerPoint presentation for architects on security film technology.  Once done you click "create video" it takes the computer hours to convert it to a video of  the presentation.

Then I upload it to youTube and "viola!" It probably took 20 hours or more to produce the presentation before sitting down to do the narration.

 The Internet is so Cool. It's the first time we can efficiently convey information en mas we never could before. Instead of giving the same talk to 10- 20 people over and over, now I can tape it once (actually more than one take on some slides) and let the video convey it a thousand times more efficiently to people one could never find otherwise.

I am so glad i lived long enough to be part of the computer age!

I will add a link to it as soon as it is processed.

Stopping a Shooter or Hurricane Force Winds: Armor Glass

Unprotected glass takes less than two seconds to break and enter! 

Armor Glass Security Film could have helped prevent the Sandy shooter from blowing out the glass to enter the building. Bullet holes are too small for someone to crawl through. Our Armor film would have delayed the shooter’s entry and provided needed time until police arrived, while the shooter is still outside and visible.  

Our Armor Security Tint would also let the staff inside the Sandy Hook school building see the shooter approach, but he would not be able to see them inside (during daylight hours). That is another valuable edge – not to mention that it would cut their yearly power bill from solar heat. We’ve put it on courthouses for hurricane and solar heat relief. But it also provides that one way mirror affect that helps the occupants. 

If shot, Armor Glass security film, which is held to the large frames with our bonding sealant would stay in place -- and take enough bullets to start looking like Swiss cheese.  It would still prevent entry until a hole big enough for a man to crawl through was created. 

Armor Glass Security film would have given the students and staff at Sandy Hook valuable time they did not have.  It could have given them enough time for the police to arrive and confront the shooter still trying to enter the building.

Many architects and do not yet know about Security Window Film so we at Armor Glass have been working to introduce them to a superior, yet less expensive way to “armor their glass’ to protect their weakest link –their windows. Windows are as easily  breached by BIGGER Storms with hurricane-force winds like Sandy that are becoming “normal” in this warming world. 

Armor Glass security film protects from burglar break ins at the same time. It cuts the blistering heat up to 79%. If you only cut 50% that means that you have cool with air conditioning only half the heat! That saves energy, making it something that pays for itself, which is pretty darn rare these days.

Glass is the weakest link of every building. Even a small bird flying into it can break it. A dog or a child can fall into it and easily break it and get hurt (I’ve seen too many reports of this happening). It takes a burglar less than two seconds to break through it. They are in and out in less than three minutes. 

ALL glass buildings are equally vulnerable. 

All people live in a 24/7/365 world that is less secure until we protect our weakest link.

Regular tinting is not rated for hurricane force winds - it only blocks the sun. People and debris can still break through cheap tint -- and into your house, business, etc.  It is usually 2 mil or less –VERY THIN and NOT CERTIFIED to keep storm debris from blowing in your windows, causing the roof to blow off and walls to collapse. It won’t protect from a burglar or a shooter either.

Armor Glass Security Film IS rated for hurricane force winds, even explosions. It IS CERTIFIED. It HAS kept burglars out - saving at least one woman the pain of finding her home ransacked and her valuables taken. Details on our Armor Glass blog.

In this ever more unpredictable 21st century we have to harden our buildings to adjust for the increased risks to every buildings' weakest link, its glass.  Armor Glass Green Plus Security (Green+Security) film does that.  To protect your family and property, get the best.

I say that not just as the owner of a security film company, but as a former TV Terrorism Expert (during/after 9/11). It’s why I founded the company.

On behalf of our growing network of sales reps and installers who are available nationally, we look forward to working with you. Details at www.ArmorGlass.com or click “Follow” here or at our blog.

Best,
Michael Fjetland
President, Armor Glass International, Inc.