1,300+ U.S. school shootings since 1970

1,300+ U.S. school shootings since 1970

Once alerted, first responders need an average of 6+
minutes to arrive on the scene of a violent incident.

ProtectED creates a safe room in seconds.

Our Story

Our team has over 50 combined years of experience in
crisis management and product engineering.

VIRGINIA TECH
April 16, 2007

While serving in the U.S. Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment,  Master Sergeant (Ret.) Pete Facchini was notified of an ongoing massacre at Virginia Tech. He learned many victims had been trapped in dorms and classrooms with no way to safely barricade themselves.

An expert Special Ops breacher, Pete knew he could develop a product that was capable of protecting lives in exactly that type of situation.

The idea for ProtectED — protecting education — was born.

newspapers

SANDY HOOK
December 14, 2012

Pete heard news of the Sandy Hook massacre while serving on an exchange program with one of Great Britain’s Elite Special Operation Units.

A growing family and 5 more deployments to the middle east had kept Pete from focusing on his idea for the ProtectED solution.

Now, as a husband of a teacher and father of three, Pete began to view the problem through a personal lens. He knew he had the knowledge and resources to help prevent or mitigate these tragedies!

woman holding a placard 

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
2014 – 2018

Upon the completion of his assignment overseas,  Pete teamed up with childhood friend, Tim Cahalin, whose custom design architecture firm provided resources for development and manufacturing.

Together, they commenced work on creating bullet-resistant classroom security products to prevent and mitigate school shootings.

To avoid the appearance of militarizing a classroom, Pete and Tim developed simple concepts with practical applications,  which could easily blend into the environment.

man welding

A GROWING TEAM
2019-2020

Meticulous testing and iteration had yeilded a final product design, and Pete and Tim were working to source high-quality, U.S. based manufacturing for their shelving system. With a market-ready product, ProtectED was poised to grow! Pete and Tim recruited Jake Ahle and Tom Ankenbauer, former U.S. Army Infantry Captains and Rangers from the Asymmetric Warfare Group.

Tom’s meticulous penchant for details, strong analytical skills and background in finance helped bring ProtectED’s business plan to a final iteration.

Jake brought his empathic, magnetic personality and strong business acumen to lead the group’s customer relations and success practice.

four men with white shirts

FIRST INSTALLATION
2021

ProtectED Solutions was finally incorporated in Georgia in as a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business.

As a big batch of shelving systems were shipped to the first ProtectED school, the team assembled for an inaugural day of installation and training.

Our commitment to saving lives didn’t stop with teachers and students... we’re now protecting religious centers, healthcare and commercial buildings, and other community spaces.

man pushing equipment while standing on a lever

Meet the team

Pete Facchini Management, Business Development

Pete is a 20 year U.S. Army Special Operations Veteran. Pete has 20 combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism, making him one of the most experienced members of the Special Operations Community. He is the recipient of three Bronze Stars with “V” device for Valor, the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device for Valor as well as multiple other personal and unit awards. Being a subject matter expert in all aspects of Marksmanship, Breaching, Close Quarters Battle (CQB), Small Unit Tactics and numerous other disciplines. Pete’s knowledge and expertise has been sought out by numerous agencies and military units.

Tim Cahalin

Tim Cahalin Product Design, Logistics

Tim grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He studied Environment Design at University of California, Berkeley. After graduation, Tim practiced fine art for several years in the Bay Area, making a living as a successful artist. In 2000, Tim moved to New York City to pursue new ventures. After working on several high-profile hotel and development projects throughout the city, he launched an architectural design firm specializing in furniture design, art fabrication, and architectural engineering. Tim now lives in New Jersey and continues his architectural and design work across the country.

Jake Ahle Sales, Marketing

Jake is a native of Marlton, New Jersey and attended the Pennsylvania State University on an Army ROTC scholarship where he studied economics. After commissioning in May 2013, Jake went on to graduate US Army Ranger School before becoming an Airborne Infantry Officer. Jake spent seven years on active duty deploying all over Europe and the Middle East. Jake graduated Harvard Business School with an MBA in 2022, bringing a powerful network and vision to the company.