Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Going to Bat for School Safety

  • 04/01/18
Bilco

Kohlton Calvey is in the process of raising over $2,000 to purchase 16 Barracudas to help keep his school safer.

When a police raid at a nearby home triggered a lockdown at Clayton Intermediate School in Dennison, Ohio, Kohlton Calvey saw fear in the eyes of his classmates and knew he needed to respond. Now, the 10-year-old fourth-grader is raising money and taking measures to ensure the safety of his peers and help them find comfort in threatening situations.

Calvey recently outlined a request to the Claymont City School Board to purchase easy-to-use mechanisms that improve door security against unwanted trespassers. The Barracuda, a device invented by SWAT team member Troy Lowe and offered by The BILCO Company of Connecticut, is designed to lock down virtually any commercial door in emergency situations. The safety device is available in different models to protect doors that swing both inward and outward, and is adjustable to fit on varying door widths.

“After the lockdown, my mother and I were looking on the Internet and what I liked about it was that it’s easy to use,’’ Kohlton says. “I liked the demonstration in the video.”

Kohlton is seeking to raise nearly $2,000 to purchase 16 Barracudas, one for each room of the school. He had raised $673 and has several more fundraising ideas planned, such as a bake sale and a school-wide “Hat Day” where students can contribute. He has also received private donations and hopes to receive some funds from a school dodge ball tournament.

Zurcher says interest in The Barracuda developed after police raided a house a block from her son’s school. Administrators placed the school on lockdown. “I could see whenever we went on lockdown, my classmates would get nervous,’’ Kohlton says.

The Barracuada features heavy-duty steel construction and a durable powder coat finish. The product can be transferred easily between different access points.

www.bilco.com

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management April 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on Second High School

    The Waller Independent School District in Waller, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its second high school, according to a news release.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.