Watching this news report (embedded below) brought a little tear to my eye. FINALLY, someone in the media is talking about both sides of the equation – safety AND security. Kudos to the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office for upholding the code requirements that help to ensure life safety.
From the Tennessee SFMO’s documentation on school safety inspections:
“For the safety of the school’s occupants, unapproved security devices should not be added to classroom doors. Manually operated flush or surface bolts are not permitted. Only one motion is allowed to open the door, such as turning the door handle. There are many products available on the Internet that are not code compliant. These include devices that slide under doors, lock door closer arms, prevent doors from latching, and surface bolts that slide into the floor or wall.”
Video: WJHL News Channel 11
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Every school district in America should see this!!!
The Minnesota Fire Marshall has BANNED all barricade devices in schools and government buildings.
I know! There’s a very special place in my heart for the Minnesota SFM’s office because they were one of the first SFMs to really GET IT.
http://idighardware.com/2015/05/minnesota-rationale/
– Lori
Hurray!!!
Well written and clear. Perhaps the next release could say “unapproved security devices MUST NOT be added to doors” – a little more emphatic, and broadens the scope to all doors.
Agreed, but they didn’t ask me. 🙂
– Lori
Hallelujah!! We should send to all the news stations in Ohio, Arkansas and Utah…. I intend to show this video at every safe schools program I host.
Thanks.
That could not have stated the issue more succinctly. Credit to the reporter and others who went on the record to say they want to do the right thing and recognize the importance of the life safety code requirements. There are way too many promoting expertise who do not look at all sides and make sure to be inclusive in their conversations…or have very good and noble intentions but create potentially unsafe situations.
This is a perfect example of looking squarely at the issue, without a full understanding of the code. These code requirements are written primarily to promote life safety and protect the public from harmful situations.
Door security devices of this type, while well intended, could create one of these situations.
You are 100% correct!
– Lori
Literally EVERY training video about school shootings train teachers and students to barricade the classroom or other rooms doors with desks, furniture, and any other thing to prevent entrance by the shooter. PLEASE someone explain to me why we can’t have a quick simple barricade to prevent access to our children? This barricade would not be used in a fire emergency! Only during an active shooter lockdown. I just don’t understand how stupid our lawmakers have to be to write this into law. Let’s leave our kids in a room that is easily accessible during a school shooting because our first responders can’t get to them. IF THE FREAKING DOOR IS SECURE, THE FIRST RESPONDERS DONT NEED TO GO IN THERE BECAUSE NO ONE HAS BEEN SHOT AND NO ONE IS INSIDE DOING THE SHOOTING! DUH! WHERES THE COMMON SENSE???