In 2009 I had an idea, which was born out of necessity.  There wasn’t enough time in the day for me to answer all of the code questions that were coming my way, so I needed to put the information somewhere that people could find it on their own.  iDigHardware was born in February of 2009, and will turn 14 YEARS OLD very soon.

In 2012 I needed to make another change – I could no longer manage a team of specwriters, write hardware specifications, and handle the demand for code information.  Thankfully, the company agreed to make codes my full-time job, and this has allowed me to work in code development through the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA).  Now, rather than waiting to see how code changes will affect our industry, we are initiating and guiding those changes.

The start of new year brings a great time to make another change, although this one began several years ago.  Because the need for help with codes had grown to a level that one person (me) could not effectively meet, I began training a group of my Allegion coworkers to act as the local code resource in each of our offices.  Together, we assist with thousands of code questions related to door openings each year.  This team is able to respond more quickly than I can, and they are much more familiar with the local code requirements.

As part of this effort to support the industry with code information and assistance, last year we created the ACE Program.  ACE = Allegion Code Experts, and this training has helped hundreds of Allegion employees raise their level of knowledge about the code requirements for doors and hardware.  The team of ACEs who are able to offer help to the industry will continue to grow in the future, and they will take over for me the job of answering individual code questions.  Once again the demand has surpassed what I can manage in a day, but the great news is that I will be on the road more and will get to see some of you in person.  I am also here to support the ACEs when they need my help.

The other great news is that many of the training resources for the ACE Program are available to anyone!  Here are a few:

  • Allegion Code Reference Guide – If you have not already downloaded this 40-page guide on codes related to door openings, it’s a great resource!  It includes the door-related highlights of the codes and standards that we commonly use in the industry, with paragraph numbers to help you find the full text in the adopted codes.
  • Decoded Course – This course gives an introduction to the codes related to doors and hardware, and includes basic information on codes, the accessibility requirements, egress and life safety, and fire door assemblies.
  • ShortCodes Series – This series of 50ish classes covers the code requirements in more detail.  You can take one class if you need help on a specific topic, or go through the full course from start to finish.  Each class is designed to take 15-20 minutes.
  • Webinars – For more in-depth information on a particular subject, there are recordings of my past webinars on the Webinars page of iDigHardware.  There are webinars available on school security, panic hardware, recent code changes, and other topics, and I will continue to add to this list.
  • Articles – My monthly Decoded column in Door Security + Safety magazine began in 2010, and I have also written many articles for other industry publications such as Construction Specifier, Life Safety Digest, and Locksmith Ledger.  These articles will help with a more in-depth understanding of a particular code requirement.

All of these resources are available on-demand and at no charge!  In addition, you can request individual help with a code question from the ACE Network by clicking the orange ball in the right sidebar.  Throughout 2023, you will begin to see more collaboration on iDigHardware from other members of the Allegion team, and I will continue to share the information that you need to stay on top of the current code requirements.  I’ll be here, but it’s time to call in the reinforcements!

Thank you for your continued support, and I hope to see you soon!

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