Sage Dyer Stafford and son Zachary Miller after presenting their three-step plan for locking down classrooms and protecting school children in the case of an active shooter emergency.
By Brandon Frye
Choctaw Nation
Durant, Okla. - If gas stations and pawn shops deserve protection from ballistics and active shooters, then our schools and children deserve at least this much, according to Sage Dyer Stafford, a Choctaw working to act on this thought with her business Safer Schools for America (SSFA).
Moments after making this point to a room full of Choctaw Nation officials, police, and security officers, Stafford’s point was punctuated as bullets struck—but did not penetrate—a demonstration door. A bulletproof door shield, designed by Stafford, successfully stopped rounds and shells from pistols, revolvers, and shotguns.
“I put together the original prototype in my garage,” Stafford said. “We took it out, we shot it, and it worked. So we refined and developed it, and eventually wrapped it in dry erase laminate so it would also be functional for the classroom it protects.”
With the momentum of having successfully produced a means for children’s safety, Stafford built up SSFA as founder and CEO. She did this with the help of her sons Justin and Zachary Miller.
Her door shield is only one of many products offered by the company as part of a three-step plan, and Stafford amassed a team of experts to perfect this plan.
According to Stafford, right now the three-step process can turn the classroom into a safe room. Step one is to lock down the classroom door, which is done with an instant remote lock system. Step two is to protect the door from being shot down, kicked down, or shattered, and is achieved with the universal door shield. Step three is to protect the glass of the classroom with security laminate. Once in place, the three-step plan leaves the classroom protected without changing the look of a normal classroom setting.
Warren Pulley, certified international physical threat assessment expert working for SSFA, said the most important thing is to have some way to protect children when they are inside of our school buildings.
“At the end of the day, once a gunman fires a round, you have to have some way to stop the round,” Pulley said. “The products I tested for Safer Schools for America do exactly that.”
Currently, the Choctaw Nation and SSFA are working together to implement the three-step program in all Choctaw head starts and daycares.
“With the changing environment and the availability of weapons and active shooter scenarios, I think it would be a disservice to our children to not do this,” Cecilia Armendariz, Director of Facilities Management for the Choctaw Nation, said. “And with this being a Choctaw company, what a great opportunity to live our mission statement.”
The relationship between SSFA and the Choctaw Nation began with the Preferred Supplier Program, under the supervision of Boyd Miller. The Preferred Supplier Program aims to increase business opportunities for qualified Choctaw tribal member-owned business enterprises, a goal accomplished with SSFA.
“The Preferred Supplier program is giving us a huge leg up,” Stafford said. “It is very hard to break into an industry with a new product. But the Preferred Supplier Program gives us that opportunity, because it lends credibility to my company when an organization as important as the Choctaw Nation is involved.”
SSFA makes it easier for schools and parents to help protect their children in a number of ways. Fundraisers are possible through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA), where parents, teachers, and children can sell items like shirts and hats to raise money. Additionally, 10 percent of every purchase, including purchases from businesses and organizations, is donated to schools unable to afford implementation of the system.
Safer Schools for America can be found online, and Sage Dyer Stafford can be contacted at sage@saferschoolsforamerica.com. Also, Choctaw and minority business owners wishing to take advantage of the Preferred Supplier Program can contact Boyd Miller long distance at (800) 522-6170 or locally at (580) 924-8280 ext. 2889.