RICHARD DELLARCIPRETE

By GAIL LOWE

BILLERICA—A former Wakefield man who grew up on the West Side of town has launched a business intended to stem the tide of violence in schools and other public buildings.

Richard “Dick” Dellarciprete, graduate of Wakefield Memorial High School Class of 1973, said that his Safety in Seconds (SIS) products will end the fear of violence—whether in schools or other public buildings, including town halls, churches, medical offices, retail stores and other public places where people gather.

“We turn rooms, including classrooms and offices, into safe spaces by securing doors, windows and corridors,” said Dellarciprete, chief executive officer of SIS. “With our TeacherLock and Ballistic Barrier products installed, students and office staff can go about their day in confidence, knowing that they will be safe if a violent intruder intent on bodily harm enters their building.”

SIS products include bullet-resistant shades, curtains and corridor dividers. Grants are available to offset costs of products and installation.

According to statistics, since the April 20, 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, more than 338,000 students have experienced gun violence at their schools. Over the past 10 years, there were at least 1,054 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 346 deaths and 757 injuries nationally.

In addition, since 2009, there have been 299 mass shootings in the United States, resulting in 1,678 people shot and killed and 1,087 people shot and wounded. Of the mass shootings, 81 percent involved a handgun, 16 percent involved an assault weapon and 55 percent involved a high-capacity magazine.

In Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two adults lost their lives from gunfire on May 24, 2022, no one would have died if the school had been equipped with SIS products,” noted Dellarciprete. “At the sound of the lockdown alert, all classroom doors would have been locked with the TeacherLock and the lowering of the Ballistic Barrier shades on every window.”

SIS’s Smart Protection Solutions rooms are secured within 10 and 17 seconds, Dellarciprete continued.

Upon receiving a lockdown alert, teachers lock doors through an activator and lower levers on a Battenshield Barricade in only a few seconds. SIS’s shelter in place occurs within 30 seconds or fewer once the alarm is sounded, allowing everyone in classrooms and offices to stay safe and remain calm, knowing that no harm can come to them.

TeacherLocks are activated by teachers while the Barricades can be locked by teachers or students of any age.

Dellarciprete said that only a few protection products on the market today are approved or certified by government agencies.

“SIS researched products offering only ‘the best of the best,’” said Dellarciprete. All products are Underwriters Laboratory approved and Made in U.S.A.

Said former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Aug. 25, 2022, “It is incumbent upon us to do all that we can to provide safe classrooms in schools for our children to learn, grow and succeed and for adults to feel comfortable in.” Baker proposed spending nearly $40 million to increase safety in schools across the Commonwealth.

Dellarciprete, whose brother Arthur was a firefighter in Wakefield before his retirement in 2000, has worked in various fields, including arcades and restaurants.

When the high tech industry began to gain ground and Dellarciprete signed on with Wang as a customer service engineer, he was hooked.

“I represented the cutting edge of technology at the time and helped companies become household names,” he said. “The most famous is TIVO.”

As a former resident of Wakefield and a graduate of the town’s high school, Dellarciprete said he is “proud” to be able to contribute to the safety of schools and public buildings with his products.

“It is my hope that SIS will help end the fear of violence and provide a sense of security for those who use our products,” he said.

For more information, contact Dellarciprete at 339-223-1111 or e-mail Dick@saetyinseconds.com. Visit www.safetyinseconds.com to view products.