Bulletproof furniture company redirects plans to sell to government buildings
Bulletproof furniture is a concept that could save lives in the event of a life threatening or dangerous emergency.
It's being made in Chattanooga at Office Furniture Warehouse.
Last November, First Line Furniture told us an increase of school shootings in 2019 motivated them to create bulletproof desks.
With the pandemic and school closings, a lack of resources from schools has made them rethink where they can sell them.
John Jerman with Office Furniture Warehouse says the end goal of the product is to save lives.
"We want people to be able to go home at the end of the day and not be going to the hospital or worse," Jerman said.
Jerman said it hasn't been easy this year and they have had to redirect their plans.
"The downside is nobody planned for COVID, so they're so budget strapped to compensate for COVID-19," Jerman said.
Jerman said since schools don't have the funding for this their new project is targeting government buildings. Jerman says shootings and dangerous events can happen anywhere.
First Line Furniture says they are excited about this new project and gaining new potential clients.
"Their budgets are able to make purchases of this level versus the school level," Jerman said.
In October 2020, they tested the table at the Government Training Institute in Barnwell, South Carolina. They tested out grenades and a sniper on the table.
"It's like nothing ever happened," Jerman said.
The front of the table showed marks where the bullets hit the desk, but the back of it remained spotless.
Office Furniture Warehouse is hoping that sooner or later they can begin to save lives.
"The world is the way it is, and if things do happen, we hope this tables are in place somewhere where it saves lives," Jerman said.
