Friday, October 3, 2008
In the wake of an increasing trend of school shootings on American college and high school campuses, a Florida entrepreneur has developed a lightweight solution: armor designed to fit in a book bag or backpack.
The Safety Book, developed by Mark Fitzsimmons, president of the Sjoman Bjorn Corp. based in Boca Raton, Fla., measures about 14 inches by 8.5 inches, and weighs about 1.25 pounds. It is currently rated at “Level II,” the National Institute of Justice’s designation for ballistic armor that will stop up to a .357 Magnum round, fired at a distance of about 15 feet. Fitzsimmons said that the armor is currently being evaluated for “Level III,” which indicates that a piece of armor can stop rounds as powerful as a .44 Magnum.
Fitzsimmons said that in addition to unstable areas abroad, the Safety Book could prove useful to students on campuses in the United States and other friendly areas of the world. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings of 2007 and other similar events, Fitzsimmons decided to develop and market his product toward the college demographic.
“What I saw is the epidemic that’s happening now in universities of innocent people getting shot at, just sitting in a classroom or by a locker,” Fitzsimmons said.
Fitzsimmons said that while the Safety Book isn’t a substitute for a full-body armor apparatus, it would at least offer protection for a person’s vital organs.
A KU Office of Study Abroad spokesperson was not available for comment, but as a rule, the office does not arrange for student travel to unstable or hostile regions of the world. The Study Abroad Handbook, furnished by the office, offers a wide array of safety precautions for American students in foreign countries.
Fitzsimmons, who founded the Sjoman Bjorn Corp., said he expects to bring the Safety Book to market as soon as early 2009 starting with Amazon.com.
— — Edited by Arthur Hur
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‘Book’ could protect college students
I would like to get feedback on this topic (good and bad) regarding private citizens carrying ballistic books.
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