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One Martinsville schoolroom is a little safer thanks to the installation of a special protective window film.

On Tuesday, a crew from Clear Defense Window Film of Virginia arrived and installed the protection in one of the classrooms at Martinsville Middle School.

“The film is an 8-millimeter, multi-laminated plastic security laminate made of special acrylic adhesives,” wrote Callie Hietala by email, the school system’s communications and community outreach coordinator. “It is designed to absorb and disperse impact, making it much more difficult for an intruder to enter a building or classroom via the window.”

Director of School Safety Compliance T.J. Slaughter wrote that the room was selected to be the first, because it presented issues that made it more vulnerable than others.

“The security window film that we had installed is just another layer of protection that we put in place on one of our classrooms that we had safety concerns for,” wrote Slaughter by email. “The film is designed to hold the glass in place if struck and delay entry in the case of an attacker.”

Hietala wrote that the coating was designed to first absorb the impact and then safely dispersing it.

“This is just one of the innovative measures and layers of security (which also include window armor, our gunshot detection system, and panic buttons) here at MCPS that operate in the background to help keep our students and staff safe without detracting or distracting from the comfort of the learning environment,” Hietala wrote.

Clear Defense Window Film of Virginia is based out of Roanoke and uses Llumar Magnum safety and security film. The company says on its website that the Llumar film provides “an optically clear yet powerful barrier that helps hold glass in place should impact occur. Danger from windborne debris, seismic tremors, and accidental impact can be greatly reduced.”

The company stated that the film was also ideally suited for “use in high-traffic areas with windows or other surfaces vulnerable to ‘smash-and-grab’ theft or vandalism.”

Wrote Slaughter: “We are looking to add this product in other school buildings in the near future.”

Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at 276-591-7543. Follow him @billdwyatt.

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