How Your Donations Matter

 The foundation that secured this donation of ballistic shields for Tulsa Public Schools Police Department says that on top of being used by school resource officers, these shields can protect bystanders in an active shooter event or any situation where they’re under fire. 

 Earlier today, three ballistic shields were dropped off at Vinita Police Department which were paid for by a grant issued by the Northeast Oklahoma Electric Co-op and was secured by the Stand 1st Foundation. 

We dropped off two ballistic shields to the Woodward Police department in Western Oklahoma in late June.

The Bartlesville community worked for two years to raise the money.

"That takes a huge relief off of parents knowing that they are sending their kids to school. They're going to be safe every day and just a lot less to worry about," said Lumley.

 "When we’re approaching that vehicle and opening those doors, we don’t know what’s inside. We don’t know if they’re sitting there waiting for an officer to open the door, to take fire, take shots at him. If we’d had that shield, that just gives you a little bit of extra protection, a little bit more confidence in being able to approach and do your job," Wimberley said. 

 It's another tool for our arsenal," said Verdigris Chief Jack Shackelford.

Chief Jack Shackelford said the two ballistic shields will be put to use in the field to protect both officers and citizens. The shields are about 20 pounds and provide protection from rifle rounds, giving officers an extra line of defense in scary situations. “If it’s too big, you can't really maneuver yourself where you want.”

Trey Lambert from Perfect Turf landscaping company is the man in charge of putting up the tree at the Ne-Mar shopping center. He said while it’s a lot of work, it’s also a lot of fun work. “We love the community and the tree’s kind of an icon in Claremore so to put the tree up was pretty an honor,” Lambert said. Lambert says he was paid $1,600 for the work, which he’s decided to donate to buy a ballistic shield. “To be able to do this to a scale where it benefits the community in a protective point really means a lot for us,” Lambert said.

October 2023 - Corporal Caleb Samson with the Bartlesville Police Department is the Student Resource Officer at Wayside Elementary School in Bartlesville. He’s thankful for shields that can save lives in case the worst happens. ”'They've been very beneficial, just knowing that we have easy access to those,” said Samson. “We do have a school resource officer in every school in Bartlesville now, starting at the beginning of this school year. Having a shield accessible to every school resource officer in every school is a huge benefit for us."

August 2022 - "Our Schools safety and security is a top priority for us. This shield will help us to ensure that the schools have the property safety and security for our children! The shield has been assigned to the School Resource Officer so it will be readily accessible." 

December 2021 - In October of 2021, Pottawatomie County Deputy Gary Knowles was shot several times while on duty.  Stand 1st founder and president Scott Walton thought it imperative to get the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office a ballistic shield as soon as possible and so in December of 2021 they became the first agency to receive a ballistic shield donation.  Deputy Knowles stated  "It's a good cause, eight-pound shield.. when they work they work, and it could have lessened my event,".