HOUSTON – One local company is striving to be a part of the solution in protecting the community from gun violence, particularly in schools.
C-Bond Systems, a Houston-based company founded in August 2013, developed a chemical solution that strengthens glass and the film that’s applied to it—so much so that bullets are not able to penetrate it. The solution applied to the back of the glass makes it bullet-resistant, and the company's CEO said there is no other solution like it.
"When the events happened in Parkland that happened, I called up the local legislators and superintendents and offered a solution, or at least to be part of the solution," said CEO Scott Silverman. “Twenty-three patents and patents pending, C-Bond is a chemical solution, a liquid, that is based on advanced nanotechnology solution. And what C-Bond does in its simplest form is the same thing soap and water (do) when you’re applying film to a window. That is, it acts as a slip agent so the window film can be applied to the glass, but the difference between C-Bond and soap and water is that C-Bond, by its nature, actually strengthens the adhesive of the film to the glass, strengthening the underlying glass itself.”
"We took it to Rice University for validation, and the chief of nanotechnology, validated it, and said we had something special and they got involved, and they further developed the technology for us," said C-Bond's co-founder Sergio Moreira.
C-Bond Systems glass is now a part of more than 70 school districts across the country. Cy-Fair Independent School District is one of them.
"It is so strong and so effective,” said Silverman.
Silverman said that, while bulletproof technology is very expensive and not practical for businesses or schools, this technology is affordable.
"This technology also allows those inside a building to shoot out, allowing first responders inside buildings to potentially act on an outside intruder," said Silverman.
“If the security guard can shoot out from the inside because the way the solution is made,” said Silverman.
Silverman travels between Houston and Florida. He lives 8 miles from where the Parkland shooting happened.
"We have a co-worker that has a daughter that was in the school during the shooting," said Silverman.
He said a former colleague of his lost his child to the tragedy.
“Locally, in Florida, there was a huge impact,” said Silverman.
C-Bond Systems made an offer to the governor to equip the schools in Parkland and the county with its technology at no cost.
“Simply because of bureaucracy, they didn’t accept the offer,” said Silverman.
But, he said, they are committed to help in any way they can.
“Let us help. Let us be part of the solution. That’s what we’re trying to do,” said Silverman.