One of the things I love most about this website is the community that has been created around it, and especially how open people are to sharing information and helping with problems and questions.  This week I have a question from the life safety manager of a university:

Is anyone able to share a written lockdown plan for a university campus?  Or any written lockdown plan?

The International Fire Code (IFC) defines the term ‘lockdown’ as: An emergency situation, in other than a Group I-3 occupancy, requiring that the occupants be sheltered and secured in place within a building when normal evacuation would put occupants at risk.

The IFC includes detailed requirements for lockdown plans, including the following:

• Lockdown plans are only permitted where the plans are approved by the fire code official and compliant with the criteria of the code.
• The required contents for lockdown plans are:
  • Identification of individuals who are authorized to order a lockdown.
  • Security measures used while the building is occupied (under normal operations), that could adversely impact egress or fire department operations.
  • A description of identified threats covered by the plan, with specific lockdown procedures for each threat condition.
  • The means of initiating a lockdown plan for each threat, including:
    • Notification of occupants when a lockdown occurs – must be different from fire alarm signal.
    • Identification of each door or access point that will be secured during a lockdown.
    • Description of the locking means for securing doors and evidence that these security methods comply with the egress and accessibility requirements of the code.
  • Procedures for reporting to the fire department any lockdown condition affecting egress or fire department operations.
  • The means of reporting the presence or absence of building occupants to emergency responders during a lockdown.
  • Method of two-way communication between each area subject to being secured during a lockdown and a central location.
  • Signal for terminating the lockdown and identification of individuals who are authorized to terminate a lockdown.
  • Upon termination of lockdown, procedure to unlock doors and verify that the means of egress has returned to normal operations.
  • Training procedures and frequency of lockdown drills – may not be substituted for fire and evacuation drills required by the IFC.
• Plans shall be reviewed or updated at least annually, or as required.
• Plans shall be available for reference and review by employees, and copies furnished to the fire code official upon request.
• Plans shall be distributed to the employees and tenants by the owner or owner’s representative.

Does anyone out there have an example of a lockdown plan meeting the requirements of the International Fire Code (IFC)?  I’d like to share it with the life safety manager of a university who is looking to see what other facilities are using. WWYD?

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