Written By: Brad Campbell | October 11, 2024
Anyone with wealth and status could be a potential target for an attack of some sort. As a well-known executive or celebrity, even just being outspoken on a certain topic can be enough to earn you death threats. While the majority of threats are usually just idle talk, it’s still important to take steps to provide the right level of security for high-risk individuals.
Even civil unrest has the potential to put the well-being of certain high-profile individuals, especially politicians, at risk, as it can quickly spiral out of control into violent rioting and looting. We saw this unfold during the infamous January 6th riots at the Capitol Building, when violent attackers breached windows and doors, some of them seeking to harm government officials.
Executive protection practices, like utilizing bulletproof glass for executive protection, exist to mitigate these threats, protecting the safety and security of VIPs during targeted attacks, active threat scenarios, or rioting.
Executive protection, also known as VIP protection or close protection, is a term that refers to a set of best practices and security technologies used to provide physical protection for high-profile individuals, such as:
These types of individuals are in the public spotlight for a variety of reasons, and are often widely known for being wealthy. They are therefore more at risk of targeted crimes, such as stalking, assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, and even assassination.
Close protection mitigates the risks of these threats by putting different types of physical protection between VIPs and people potentially seeking to do them harm. Here are some examples of executive protection practices:
Some of these VIP protection practices are specific to executive protection, whereas others serve to protect both executives and the buildings they may work in or visit.
For example, armed executive protection agents are often confused with security guards.
Security guards are typically assigned to a location, such as a commercial facility, and are focused on deterring threats and reacting when a threatening situation arises. They are primarily responsible for securing the location they are assigned to, but that can also encompass protecting important building occupants.
In contrast, executive protection agents are more focused on planning and risk mitigation, and often move around with the VIPs they are assigned to protect. They aim to prevent security threats from presenting themselves in the first place. These types of agents are very specific to the executive protection industry.
Additionally, some of the different physical security measures that work for executive protection, such as installing access control systems, monitored surveillance cameras, alarms, and security glazing in buildings, are strategies that work to provide both executive protection and more general commercial security.
Before we go any further, it’s important to note that, although the term “bulletproof glass” is widely used in the security industry, there is no such thing as glass that is truly 100% bulletproof — a more correct term to use is either bullet-resistant glass or ballistic-grade security glazing.
Bullet-resistant glass or ballistic-grade security glazing can refer to any type of security glass or non-glass security glazing (i.e., polycarbonate-based security glazing) that is capable of stopping several rounds of a certain caliber fired from specific types of firearms.
Some types of security glazing, like ballistic-grade polycarbonate and glass-clad polycarbonate glazing, are capable of providing a very high level of ballistic protection, which is why they are often referred to as “bulletproof.”
However, a high enough volume of rounds fired from specific types of high-powered firearms can eventually penetrate any type of security glazing.
Despite its limitations, implementing bulletproof glass for executive protection still plays a very important role in protecting the lives of VIPs. It can be used to fortify offices, government buildings, and any other properties where high-risk individuals spend a lot of time and may be at risk of an attack.
Even though any type of bulletproof glass for executive protection can eventually be penetrated, it creates a valuable window of time during an attack that can save lives.
Depending on the specific type of firearm used in an attack, ballistic-grade security glazing can stop the bullets in their tracks, protecting the people behind them and giving security personnel time to react.
Additionally, even when riddled with bullets, bullet-resistant security glazing continues to provide access denial, meaning it prevents attackers from creating an opening in a window large enough to open a door from the inside or climb through. This stops attackers from gaining unauthorized entry, so they can’t get inside a facility or office where they can do more harm.
Naturally, most offices and commercial buildings are not fitted with ballistic-grade security glazing by default, so facilities that require bulletproof glass for executive protection must be retrofitted with the appropriate glazing.
Depending on the level of security required, you might choose to retrofit ballistic-grade security glazing on all of a building’s vulnerable doors and windows, or you may decide it’s only necessary for the C-level office suites.
In our line of thought, more security glazing is always better. Even if your main goal is to protect a specific individual from harm, the people they’re around could also be at risk, especially if an attacker targets that individual in a corporate office building or another commercial facility with lots of occupants. Because of this, it’s always best to start fortifying buildings from the outside-in, starting with the most vulnerable external windows and entryway doors.
When you reinforce external doors and windows with bullet-resistant glazing, it provides an extremely high level of access denial, preventing armed assailants from gaining entry in the first place. This can stop active threats or an angry mob of rioters dead in their tracks, allowing law enforcement time to arrive and contain or neutralize the threat.
If you need “bulletproof” protection for executives, we highly recommend using Riot Glass or ArmorPlast bullet-resistant glazing infills wherever you need to provide protection against forced entry and ballistic attacks.
For example, ArmorPlast AP Series polycarbonate-based security glazing is available with UL 752 ballistic resistance ratings up to Level 6, while our Riot Glass RG Series can be ordered with protection up to a UL 752 Level 7 (capable of stopping multiple military-style rounds from an AK-47 rifle).
Both of these lines of security glazing can usually be overglazed (mounted on the outside of) a property’s existing glass surfaces, protecting the windows or doors behind from impacts and providing access denial to mitigate active threats.
Even if this bullet-resistant security glazing does eventually get penetrated by bullets, it won’t significantly diminish in strength or become dislodged, meaning it remains a barrier to forced entry and continues to protect building occupants until the authorities arrive.
Riot Glass and ArmorPlast are designed to withstand prolonged ballistic attacks and determined forced entry attempts, making it one of the most powerful tools for executive protection and essential to a well-rounded security posture.
In fact, certain models have even passed the extremely intensive ASTM F3038 forced entry resistance test, which is equivalent to the US State Department’s forced entry testing standard.
Benefits of using Riot Glass and ArmorPlast bulletproof glass for executive protection include:
Executive protection isn’t just for CEOs — it’s for any high-profile individuals that could potentially be the target of a violent attack.
Like all commercial security systems, a comprehensive VIP protection plan should incorporate a variety of best practices and security technologies, including physical protection measures like bulletproof glass for executive protection.
Riot Glass, LLC offers a full line of the best executive protection security glazing products you can find. Contact us today for a free consultation or to schedule a threat assessment.
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