Two news stories about school security showed up in my Google Alerts, and it’s an interesting comparison. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the security measures undertaken by each of these districts. Why are they so different? Is it because of funding? Variations in state laws or guidelines? Do security needs vary from one location to the next?
In your opinion, what are the most important physical security measures for schools to implement?
Parma School District in Ohio:
A couple of notes on the video above…at the 10-second mark, someone is shown testing the security of the door barricade device – with the lockset latched. The lockset is likely providing the necessary level of security for these doors. At about the 1:30 mark, the news report mentions that “every classroom, every gymnasium…” is equipped with a barricade device. That means that they have likely been installed on doors that are equipped with panic hardware.
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If I heard correctly; in the Parma School System (Video 2) that police and fire have a method for gaining entry to the classroom with the barricade device in place.
How long before everyone knows how to defeat these devices?
Also wouldn’t they be slowed down if the classroom door was locked with the existing cylindrical classroom lock?
They probably didn’t show the device due to security but the CEO says that Police and First Responders have instant access and can open the door from the outside!! HOW???? How do they remove the device from the outside? From under the door??? They even say that it will hold 160 pounds of force from the inside!!! Makes it almost impossible for someone to escape if being attacked INSIDE the room!!!
I am intrigued by the idea of a barricade device that is removable by authorities and would like to see how that works. That being said, I just can’t help but feel like barricade devices are asking for trouble from within the classroom and student body. I really don’t see what these devices will achieve that a closer and classroom lock set will not.
A couple of thoughts on the floor strike barricades used in Parma: One is, how long before that strike hole gets filled with dirt and floor wax to the point where the device will no longer engage the strike? Two is, anyone with a stiff rod bent into an “L” shape can slip it under the door and flip that little barricade bar out of the strike.
As I tell customers , if they want in , they will get in .