5 minute read
Defense in Depth
Lauren Fair, Mike Keena and David Fair work at American Defense Structures in the Airpark.
(Dennis Murphy/Contributor)
American Defense Structures covers all bases when it comes to safety
By Connor Dziawura
American Defense Structures CEO David Fair isn’t trying to scare potential customers. But under the premise that anything could happen at any time, he and his business partners aim to ensure they are safe both in terms of their surroundings and their knowledge.
A disabled veteran-owned and -operated ballistic, blast and attack protective systems company founded in 2018 and based out of the Scottsdale Airpark, American Defense Structures specializes in safe rooms, security doors and security fi lm, as well as an array of expert-taught safety classes.
“We do threat assessments with our clients and fi nd out what their fears are, their needs are. We don’t try to oversell them or anything like that. We don’t sell fear, but we sell safety,” Fair explains.
The company started with an encounter between Fair and Kris “Tanto” Paronto, who was part of the response to the 2012 attack on the CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya. The two got to talking, and on the basis that a safe room could have saved lives during the incident, Fair suggested the two work together, combining Fair’s fi nancial means and Paronto’s CIA and Army Ranger experience.
“And so we fl ew down to Florida,” Fair recalls of partnering with a company called NSI Precision on development, design, manufacturing and installation. “A dear friend of mine has a 100,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fabrication facility, and we started making some mock safe rooms using their engineers, naval architects and a linking system that … there’s no way to penetrate it. So once you’re behind it, you’re behind it and nobody’s going to get to you.”
Fair quickly realized he didn’t have the manpower, so he brought in several partners, all of whom come from military backgrounds. They include Grant “Doctor” Bucks, chief operating offi cer; Jimmy “Skin” Forbes, chief security offi cer; Mike “Magic” Keena, chief information offi cer; and John “Yano” Damyanovich, security specialist and installation manager. Paronto was at one point their brand ambassador but has moved on to other endeavors.
American Defense Structures branched out from safe rooms and into security doors and then security fi lms, the latter of which Fair now calls the company’s flagship product.
Professionally installed to the inside of customers’ windows, the optically clear laminates offer varying levels of strength, depending on the customer’s safety needs.
Level I can withstand an intruder with a weapon such as a bat or rock, whereas the stronger Level II can stand up to more determined aggressors or even a bomb blast and the final Level III can sustain multiple small arms hits, according to its website. Level III is unidirectionally bullet resistant, allowing rounds to be shot out but not in — though it’s not recommended unless absolutely necessary.
All three levels protect against severe weather, are chemical resistant and feature energy-saving properties. Tinting is also available and would provide additional energy savings.
“The thing is safe rooms take a long time to build,” Fair admits, adding, “The doors take anywhere from 90 to 120 days to build. I mean, it is just that busy that everything’s backed up — and of course COVID didn’t help anything.
“But with the film, we can start protecting somebody’s home or business within a week, depending on our schedule. The film is readily available, and we use a proprietary film that, as you can see, stops bullets,” he continues, gesturing to a bullet-ridden sheet of glass.
For customers who have extra need, however, American Defense Structures designs security doors that can withstand most common weapons and are impervious to nonballistic objects, according to its website. They come pre-hung in steel frames and have passed the Department of Defense’s 15-minute breach test, meaning they can sustain the attack of several highly trained armed individuals for at least 15 minutes. “Between the door and the hinges, no one’s getting through,” Keena says. “No one’s shooting through it, nobody’s breaking it down — no one’s getting through it. And the cool thing about the doors is we can make those doors look like any way you want it to. … Nobody would even know that it’s a ballistic door. It would just look like a nice, expensive door.” The safe rooms — or even underground bunkers — come into play for customers needing a maximum level of security. With security consultation, they can be fully customized to protect customers from intruders CEO David Fair founded American Defense Structures in 2018. (Dennis Murphy/Contributor) or even large-scale disasters. Features, as outlined on the company’s website, can include ballistic and blast wall and ceiling panels; security doors and
Mike “Magic” Keena is the company’s chief information officer. Aside from selling safe rooms, security doors and security film, the company offers self-defense and situational awareness courses with expert instruction.
concealed passageways; nuclear, biological and chemical air filtration; surveillance and communication systems; and even necessities for those preparing for long-term survival, like a backup power generator and lighting as well as access to food, water and more.
The overarching idea behind American Defense Structures is saving lives, and the company covers all bases by approaching all it does through the idea of “defense in depth” — essentially to identify the threat; retreat behind whatever level of protection is available, such as a security film, security door or safe room; and, if it comes down to it, be able to defend oneself.
For situations in which foresight or even some physical defense are required, American Defense Structures has recruited the support of instructors Steve Tarani, a former CIA employee, and Tom Rovetuso, formerly of the Lake County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office. Course categories range from situational awareness and less-lethal defense to nonballistic weapons use and even ballistic weapons use.
“The main thing is 15 minutes — that’s the magic number. That’s why they had the 15-minute breach test; so if you dial 911, typically the first responders will be there in 15 minutes,” Keena explains, calling defense with ballistic weapons a last resort.
“So all these products are designed for you to dial 911 and then stay safe until the first responders show up. And that’s the nutshell of defense in depth.”
