The popular misconception with bullet resistant deal drawers is that you’re basically limited to choosing a threat level, then picking big, medium, or small. Although deal drawers are sold as quick-install drop-in units, there is still every opportunity to customize an ideal solution.
SIZE MATTERS WITH DEAL DRAWER
When it comes to deal drawers, size matters. Although your application might call for any number of bells or whistles–from integrated communication systems to exterior/interior weather seals and individually keyed locks–the deal drawer still needs to be able to accommodate the daily needs of your establishment.
Choose a drawer than can accommodate both the extremes of your business and the most common daily use. Don’t just measure the largest item you might need to pass and buy a drawer big enough for that package. An oversized 20-inch deep drawer is going to get really annoying if most transactions involve nothing larger than a clipboard or packet of legal documents. That’s why some models of the largest drawers include integrated sliding deal trays, in essence making a large deal drawer into two drawers in one. Alternately, most stock drawers can be outfitted with a removable tray or dividers to help manage smaller items.
DEAL DRAWER SECURITY RATING
Using a pre-fabricated deal drawer certainly offers a cost-savings, but it can also limit your choices when it comes to configuration and security rating. It’s obviously easier–and less expensive–to secure a smaller surface area, since it offers a more compact target. Subsequently, it will usually be smaller drawers that carry the higher UL ratings. Although fiberglass or steel inserts can be added to bump up the bullet-stopping power of any larger deal drawer, the lower overall demand for these means that the cost is going to creep up. This starts to erode the value in going with a pre-fab solution.
DEAL DRAWER CUSTOMIZATION
Most contractors and installers–and even many bullet proof companies–are limited to purchasing and installing pre-fabricated steel deal drawers. They may be willing and able to modify these with additional reinforcement or functional features, but the impact these modifications will have on ballistic security is beyond the scope of their expertise–and could compromise security.
Full-service companies like Total Security Solutions don’t just install pre-fab drawers, but also fabricate their own drawers from scratch. This makes it possible to precisely meet a given application’s demands for size, security rating, and operable features–such as polycarbonate tops for full visibility throughout the transaction, all-season indoor/outdoor use, and even truly innovative solutions for one-of-a-kind challenges.
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