The insanely popular Mafia Wars game on Facebook may have caused you to ignore many a status update. Here at Total Security Solutions, we took note of the recently added bulletproof glass award the game offers. Seems like real or virtual, bulletproof is the undisputed king of safety and protection in dangerous situations.
Bulletproof glass is awarded for certain jobs in Mafia Wars. You can check out this link to the Mafia Wars Wiki for more info.
“Glassphemy!,” a psychological recycling experiment in New York City, proves that bulletproof glass can not only protect art – it can be art!
Photo by Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times
A 20-foot-by-30-foot clear box, Glassphemy! is made of steel and bulletproof glass. At the art installation, people stand on a high platform and throw recyclable bottles into the glass box. Observers, who view from platforms circling Glassphemy!, are protected from the flying debris by the box’s bulletproof glass walls.
Glassphemy! is an all-around satisfying experience, according to the New York Times.
“The bottles smash fantastically, artfully designed lights flash, and no one is harmed.”
Bullet resistant glass (better known as bulletproof glass) is referred to very often in this niche industry. However it is a little known fact that in most cases there is no actual “glass” involved. The three most common forms of ballistic security glass are acrylic, polycarbonate and glass class polycarbonate.
Bullet Resistant Acrylic from Total Security Solutions
Acrylic: Bulletproof acrylic is the most commonly used material for transaction windows and ballistic resistant barrier systems. The acrylic material is available in UL ballistic protection levels one and two. The acrylic also has the option to have an abrasion resistant (AR) coating or be standard acrylic. The abrasion resistant coating comes standard on our level two acrylic and provides protection against cleaning solvents and weather, as well as an increased resistance to the effects of ultra violet light.
Polycarbonate: Bulletproof polycarbonate materials are normally composed of an acrylic core with two polycarbonate caps each side of the secure surface. Polycarbonate materials are available in UL ballistic protection levels one thru three and all three come standard with an abrasion resistant coating. All of the polycarbonate materials that Total Security Solutions offers also have a forced entry rating.
Glass Clad Polycarbonate: Glass Clad Polycarbonate (GCP) materials are composed of inter layers of glass and polyurethane with exterior caps of glass and abrasion resistant polycarbonate. GCP comes in UL ballistic protection levels one thru five and level eight as well. All of the GCP materials that Total Security Solutions offers carry a forced entry level in addition to their ballistic rating.
Now when someone is talking about bulletproof glass you can ask them, “what type of ‘glass’ are you talking about”…if it’s even glass at all! For more information on ballistic materials such as bulletproof glass please visit our website or call us at 866-930-7807
The city of Bay City is considering adding bulletproof glass to its utilities department, based on feedback from clerks who are seeing an increase in personal threats. As the economy worsens, threats from people who’ve had their utilities cut off have increased — and employees want to be safe at work while at the utilities department.
More info, and a poll where you can vote in support of Bay City utilities department employees, can be found on the Connect Mid Michigan site. Click through and vote yes!
One of the world’s most famous religious artifacts, the Shroud of Turin, is on display to the public at Turin’s St John the Baptist Cathedral. Thanks to a protective layer of bulletproof glass, it’s being kept safe while thousands of visitors view it.
The shroud is went on display April 10, its first public display in a decade. It’s estimated that two million people will view the shroud over the next month.
The Shroud of Turin was discovered in the French city of Troyes, southeast of Paris, in the mid-14th century. The showing is the first since the shroud was restored in 2002.
Bullet proof transaction windows tend to be the most commonly asked for and purchased item when it comes to bullet resistant products. Upon purchase the most frequently asked question is, “How do I install it?”
While we would love to be able to install every transaction window ourselves, it’s just not economical for either party. Instead Total Security Solutions has came up with a simple three step process for customers to “do it yourself”:
Transaction Window Install Instructions
Bullet proof transaction windows come in UL protection levels 1-3 and several different types (such as the baffle and arched voice port). All of Total Security Solutions transaction windows come with a full installation packet which includes the instructions, hardware, caulk, glass cleaner and towels to clean the glass. For more information on transaction windows visit our website or call 866-930-7807.
Bulletproof glass recently protected observers at the Bots IQ 2010 National Competition, a robot battle royale in Miami. Mega powerful machines built by engineering students shredded, rammed and laid waste to one another throughout the competition to crown the toughest robot. 
As the robots spun at bone crushing 2,500 rotations per minute and rammed each other with razor sharp fenders, observers were safely protected from flying debris, including glass, metal and other hazards, by bulletproof glass.
More than 500 individuals stayed safe behind the glass while 67 teams of high school and middle school students battled it out, robot style.
Video of the competition, shot from behind the bulletproof glass, of course, can be viewed here: Bots IQ 2010 National Competition
Arched Voice Port Bullet Resistant Transaction Window
Starting from the ground up we begin with the counter top that transaction windows often have. The counter top is the foundation for the entire window and they come in two standard forms. The most common counter top material is plastic laminate, which can be provided in a number of different colors. The other is stainless steel. Stainless steel counter tops are often used in exterior applications and upon customer request. After the counter top is constructed then the currency tray must be either cut in or placed on top of the counter to allow money to pass between customers and employees. Most of our currency trays are recessed in to the counter top. Next comes the framing for the transaction window. Attached to the counter top is either a U channel bracket or 2 piece channel to secure the counter and window together along with pieces of 2 piece channel along the sides and top to hold the bullet proof glass in place.
Before the bullet proof glass is put in place the determination of what type of voice transmission needs to be decided. If you have chosen a baffle system, arched voice port or voice around then this is already decided; however other voice port systems are available such as the hole in backer, MK1 and MK2. Now that the counter top, frames and voice transmission system are chosen we move on the most important piece, the Bullet Proof Glass. Most transaction windows come with a level one bullet resistant 1 ¼” acrylic, however there are many other options for levels of protection. Bullet proof Glass Clad polycarbonate is available in transaction windows from bullet resistant levels 1-3 as well as polycarbonate materials. Level three LP1250 contains two 1/8th layers of polycarbonate sandwiched around an inch of bullet resistant acrylic. LP1250 offers great transparency along with a high level of protection.
There are many other transaction windows that are available such as bullet proof horizontal sliders and exterior transaction windows that can be installed in your place of business. For more information on transaction windows visit our products section of our website.
There was recently a story in the news that brought smiles to all of our faces here at Total Security Solutions. What was that story about you ask; the use of a bullet resistant barrier to detour a robber away from a bank in Florida. A burglar comically passed a note through the bullet resistant barrier and told the bank teller to “put your hands up”. The bank teller, standing behind a secure sound bullet resistant system, told the thief to “Kick Rocks”, for lack of better word.
Bullet Resistant Barriers
The would be robber was flustered and didn’t know what to do, so burglar took the honorable route (if that’s possible for a bank robber) and turned around then walked out the door. The lawbreaker was found a few hours later after being identified from a missing hubcap on the getaway vehicle. The crook didn’t put up any fight (just like in the bank) and admitted to the crimes immediately.
This just goes to show that bullet resistant systems can prevent crooks and robbers from turning violent in an environment that has a high volume of customers. Systems such as the secure sound bullet resistant system are available from Total Security Solutions to help employees and customers feel safer in a high risk environment.
For more information on systems like the secure sound system follow this link for all of your needs.
Currency Tray from Total Security Solutions
Items like package passers are great for larger items such as UPS packages, bottles and other bulky items but they aren’t the best option when it comes to passing the most common item of all in a place of business, money. Currency trays are one of the most important items in a transaction area and they are often one of the last things on a person’s mind when it comes to ordering their bullet resistant products.
The three most common currency trays that you’ll see in banks, check cashiers, pawn shops and some convenience stored and gas stations are the standard currency tray, the flip lid and sliding currency tray. The standard tray comes in five different sizes and two different variations in which both have custom sizes available. They can either be recessed in a countertop or mounted on the top. All standard trays are also available with a bullet trap system that lets a bullet travel through the tray and in to a confined area to trap the bullet. The flip lid tray is often used in some exterior applications and is very similar to the standard tray, just with covers over the openings and a flat bottom to the tray. These trays are available in one size along with custom sizes as well. The sliding currency tray is very similar to the flip lid tray in terms of shape and functionality. The sliding tray has a lock on the employee side for added security and allows for some larger, bulkier items (such as cigarette cartons) to be passed without an issue. The sliding tray is available in one size as well as custom sizes as well. All of these types of currency trays can be installed in to any transaction window and are great for many different applications.
Below are the available standard sizes for all currency tray:
Standard Flip Lid Sliding
Counter Recessed Counter Recessed Counter Recessed
12″ x 8″ x 1-1/2″ 14-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ x 2-3/4″ 14″ x 14″ x 2-3/4″
14″ x 8″ x 1-1/2″
16″ x 8″ x 1-1/2″
14″ x 13″ x 2-1/2″
14″ x 17″ x 1-3/4″
12″ x 8″ x 1-1/2″
14″ x 8″ x 1-1/2″
16″ x 8″ x 1-1/2″
14″ x 13″ x 2-1/2″
14″ x 17″ x 1-3/4″
12″ x 8″ x 2″
14″ x 8″ x 2″
16″ x 8″ x 2″
***Custom Sizes are available for all currency trays***
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