HANCOCK COUNTY, OH (WTOL) - A fundraising campaign to improve student safety in Hancock County hit a milestone this week. But, they still need a lot of help to reach their financial goal.
The boot safety device ensures that a classroom door remains closed during a school lockdown to ensure student safety.
The Boot campaign is working to install a device in every classroom in Hancock County.
"The Boot" is a rectangular-shaped plate of 1/4 inch thick cold-rolled industrial steel that can be placed quickly behind a door.
Once in place. it would take over 16 thousand pounds of pressure to open the door, which would keep out any intruder.
"It's going to make them work and take time. And we need that time, because the schools out in the county, for us responding for other law enforcement responding, it's going to take more time in the rural area than it would in the city." said Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman.
This week, the fundraising campaign in Hancock County to install a BOOT in all 1,871 county classrooms and faculty offices hit $100,000.
"We're kind of doing this as a group effort and doing it together," Heldman said. "That way we can pool our fundraising and really work together as one cohesive unit."
The total goal of the campaign is $420,000 by May to install the devices over summer break.
So far, a wide variety of people have donated, from parents and grandparents to Marathon Petroleum.
"Just to see all of these different entities know that our children are important to protect, it's just a great community effort." said Beth Baker, Crime Prevention Specialist with the Hancock County Sheriff's Department.
To donate to the cause, you can visit the Crime Prevention Association of Findlay and Hancock County website.
