What do you think of this new Fixed-it Friday product idea? It looks like it would be a little pricey and I'm not sure how a whole class would fit inside, but I give him credit for the engineering. I could use one of these to hide from my kids. :)
Last month, along with a panel of experts, I presented the myths and facts about classroom barricade devices on behalf of the Door Security and Safety Foundation for the annual conference of the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM). I recorded my portion of the presentation so I could post the myths and facts here. Feel free to share the link with those considering the use of barricade devices, or any jurisdictions discussing the possibility of changing their codes.
Seriously...this Wordless Wednesday photo makes me want to cry. Posted with the permission of Ron Burgess Jr. of the Westport Fire Department (originally posted on the Truck Floor Training Facebook page).
One of my original goals when I started this blog in 2009, was to make learning about codes less painful. I think these whiteboard animation videos do just that! Here's the latest...all about fire door assemblies!
This Fixed-it Friday photo illustrates the common problem of an access control system that has been modified for convenience. No matter how much time and money are invested in planning and installing a system, human intervention is always a factor...
If you have not watched this 2014 Dateline series on school shootings, it gives the perspective of survivors and describes their struggles in the months and years after the tragedies occurred. Very moving.
The door in these Wordless Wednesday photos has 7 surface bolts, an exit alarm, a door position switch, AND a rolling door. Wow.
Delayed egress vs. controlled egress...can you explain the difference? Do you know when and where each type of locking hardware is allowed, and what the IBC requires in order to ensure life safety?
People ask me all the time..."What's a 'CUSH' closer?" The answer is in our latest whiteboard animation video!
You may have to look at these for a few minutes to get the gist of what's happening. These are double-egress pairs in a hotel I stayed in recently. Instead of using a double-egress frame so the doors were in the same plane, each door was mounted on the opposite side of a double-rabbet frame...
This is why I use PDF code books!
What I want to know is...why do some people think it's ok to use these locks after-hours, when the building is unoccupied? I don't see anything in the codes to support that, but it seems to be a common belief. Am I missing something?
I am often asked whether it is code-compliant to install a separate deadbolt with a latchset or lockset on a dwelling unit entry door in an assisted living facility. Most doors in a means of egress are required to unlatch with one operation for egress. While there is an exception...
I don't know that I've ever seen floor stops like these...
This is one of the most common questions I receive...do you know when and where panic hardware is required?
Articles touting the value of classroom barricade devices without any mention of the related safety issues are legitimizing the use of these devices that are not compliant with the model codes. An article in this month's Security Management magazine, a publication of ASIS International, covers the perceived security benefits of the devices used in the Mentor, Ohio school district...
I've had many requests for help lately with regard to converting an existing fire door with a mortise lock to a cylindrical lock. There are several concerns here...
Last year I posted a link to a guide on the US Access Board's website, which helps to explain the ADA Standards. Initially, the online guide only covered Chapters 1-3. The Access Board recently added Chapter 4 to the guide (found here), which is the chapter covering Accessible Routes - including Doors, Doorways, and Gates...
