A series of mass shootings in schools and colleges last year in the US, culminating most recently in the tragic Sandy Hook atrocity, has left wounds in many lives. Everyone agrees that these senseless attacks must be stopped, but there are differing opinions as to what should be done to prevent them. The nation is divided.
President Obama recently issued a Gun Control Plan, a list of 23 directives aimed at preventing gun crime. These issues always provoke controversy because of the many well publicized arguments for and against gun control and the constitutional rights of American citizens that must be considered. But one thing remains clear. As the president says, "Our first task as a society is to keep our children safe." We must keep this common goal in mind as we move forward.
We believe security Smoke Screens may be the best and most practical solution to this terrible problem. Initially developed in the UK in the 1970s to protect bank vaults, Smoke Screens work by instantly filling any given area with a dense, non-toxic smoke. It is used in the UK primarily for protecting property and goods by effectively obscuring the vision of intruders. The theory is, if they can't see it, they can't steal it.
The same principle applies to protecting people, and Smoke Screens have achieved great success when used to diffuse violent armed raid scenarios. It is based on this that Eric Howe, President of Concept Smoke Screen US, recommends the use of Smoke Screens in American schools. He says, "We would like to put it into classrooms and have a single machine in each classroom with a teacher with a remote control so with the press of a button, within seconds the entire classroom is filled with a density that nobody can see. In the event of a lockdown situation, the teacher would put the children in the safest part of the classroom, sit them down, press the button and that's all you needed to do." It's an out-of-the-box solution to an all-too-common problem.
Smoke Screens can potentially put an end to school shootings by simply and effectively diffusing an explosive situation. They act in several positive ways:
- Smoke Screen protects teachers and children by concealing them so they cannot be targeted. A gunman is much less likely to shoot if he cannot see his target. Teachers and students would be given training to help them learn what to do in the event of Smoke Screen activation, and regular drills would help familiarize them with the process.
- Smoke Screens cause confusion and disorientation, effectively disabling the potential murderer without any need for face-to-face confrontation. The gunman cannot tell if the smoke is toxic or caused by a fire, and with their vision considerably impaired, their instincts will tell them to flee.
- Smoke Screens can be strategically positioned in order to drive the attacker out of the classroom and into the corridors where it will be easier for the authorities to neutralize the threat.
- Because the smoke has a big visual impact and looks like it might have been caused by a fire, the public will be alerted and are more likely to call the emergency services.
Smoke Screen's solution ultimately side-steps the controversy about firearms whilst effectively tackling the problem at hand, which makes it a resolution that should appeal to all involved. First and foremost, our goal is to protect our children, and Smoke Screen technology promises to be one of the most effective methods of saving lives in the future.
For more information check out the Fox 7 news report.
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