CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - Students at Southern Hills Career Technical Center are crafting a simple device they believe could save lives in the event of a school shooting.
“Just the thought of being able to not only help like other kids but probably save our lives in the process, it makes me feel good,” said Senior Kerstin Hartman.
Hartman is the brainchild behind the project and sparked the inspiration for the devices that the students refer to as the “Door Lock EMT.” Now every classroom at Southern Hills is equipped with one of the metal braces that make the door impossible to open from the hallway.
And it can be installed in seconds.
The project started soon after students in Parkland, Fla. were gunned down in the halls of the school.
“It kind of makes me aggravated a little bit, you know, cause it -- America should be one person,” said Senior Jantsen Crank. “You know, we should all be a team together.”
The school superintendent tells said plans to reach out to other area schools that filter students into Southern Hills programs to see if they are interested in installing the devices.
“We all thought the walkout, I mean, it was a good idea but what is it really going to change?” Hartman said. “All it’s doing is getting you out of class when we would rather be in class doing something to benefit not only us but everyone.”
Students designed and constructed each of the door locks and the first one was installed March 1. The design has required some adjustment to fit different styles of door handles throughout the school.
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