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Earlier this month, the National Glass Association (NGA) held its Glass Conference in Carlsbad, California. The International Window Film Association (IWFA) and the National Glass Association (NGA) have long held a close partnership within the glazing industry, with Executive Director Darrell Smith representing the Window Film Industry on both the Glazing Industry Code Committee (GICC) and the Protective Glazing Council (PGC) in the past.

The IWFA was invited to speak at the Glass Conference, held from February 3-6. The NGA asked the IWFA to lead a section of the February 5^th program on school safety, and the association tapped Mrs. Lisa Winckler to present the section. Mrs. Winckler has served on the IWFA Board of Directors and currently consults for the IWFA. In both her prior and current roles at the IWFA, Mrs. Winckler has worked to promote the benefits of window film products, advocating for their use in both the commercial and public sectors.

Titled “The Role of Surface-Applied Film in School Security,” Mrs. Winckler focused on the changing landscape of school security, and the differences in language from state to state.

In the last few years, states such as Texas, Tennessee, Missouri and Utah have passed legislation requiring schools to find solutions aimed at keeping students safe. Mrs. Winckler spoke on the industry issues revolving around ASTM F3561 and the claims about “Bullet Resistant” window films from newcomers to the industry. The presentation outlined the ASTM F3561-22 test method, and how it was not designed to evaluate retrofit building window film that would be applied to existing door/entry or window glass.

Mrs. Winckler also touched on the growing number of states passing legislation aimed at the installation of a “bulletproof” glazing solution. Window Film falls into this category, with the state of Missouri going so far as to require a “Bullet-Resistant Window Film.”

In response to Mrs. Winckler’s presentation, IWFA Executive Director Darrell Smith stated “Schools should be a place of safety for children. Companies that claim their films can and do stop bullets are a detriment to this idea of safety and we believe would be irresponsible as the margin for error could be one of life safety. To date, the IWFA is unaware of any film that provides ballistic resistance on its own.” The IWFA invites those curious about safety films and their applications to see the association’s as well as it’s .