WSPA – CAMPOBELLO, S.C. (WSPA) – A retired South Carolina man co-developed a vault designed to protect schoolchildren against EF5 tornadoes and active shooters.
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The vault, called the "Vast 6," is made of a ballistic material that can repel bullets from all handguns and shotguns. It can also protects against shrapnel from an EF5 tornado with winds that exceed 100 miles per hour.
"There's nobody safe in any of the schools," said co-developer J.C. Brown of Campobello.
"If my grand kids going to be in school and an active shooter comes in, what would I want them to do? Simply lock the door? Or would I want them to be in a shelter like this?" asked co-developer Jeff Carson.
The vault comes in various sizes, is ADA compliant and also features a built-in fire extinguisher and a touch-screen control panel for interior lighting and ventilation.
The standard size vault retails for $18,000, but Carson said school districts may qualify for grants from the federal government that would cover 75 percent of the cost.
He said he and Brown plan to visit trade shows over the next several months to discuss the vault.
They are also traveling to Newtown, Conn., at the end of September, to visit with school officials there and give a presentation on the vault. Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.