In this month’s Decoded column for the School Security + Safety edition of Door Security + Safety Magazine, I address several considerations for securing stairwell doors.

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This Decoded article will be published in Door Security + Safety
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With the ongoing focus on securing schools in case of an active shooter event, the security and safety of both exterior and interior doors are being considered.  In addition to entrances, security vestibules, assembly spaces, and corridor doors, doors serving stairwells play an important role in compartmentalizing the building.  In this month’s Decoded article, I’ll address this question:

Is it permissible by code for interior stairwell doors in schools to be locked on the stair side during a lockdown?

First, it’s important to understand the difference between an interior stairway door and a stair discharge door.  The stair discharge door typically swings out of the stairwell, either toward the exterior, into a lobby, or into an exit passageway.  These doors must allow egress and are not permitted to be locked on the stair side.  They may be locked on the non-egress side, or outside of the door, preventing access to the stairwell.  The reentry requirements covered in this article do not apply to stair discharge doors.

Interior stairway doors almost always swing into the stairwell from the various floors of the building.  They typically allow free egress from the exit access corridor into the stair enclosure; these doors are the subject of this article.  The model codes allow interior stairwell doors to be locked on the stair side, to prevent unauthorized access to the floors of the building.  This is an important security consideration for schools and other types of buildings, as limiting movement through the facility can help to contain the threat and reduce exposure.

Normal Operation

Interior stairway doors in schools are typically equipped with fire exit hardware, allowing free egress into the stairwell.

Most interior stairwell doors are fire door assemblies and are required to automatically close and latch to help deter the spread of smoke and fire, and to protect the means of egress.  Propping fire doors open with a wedge or other mechanical method is not code-compliant.  Automatic-closing devices may be used to hold fire doors open until smoke is detected; upon activation of the fire alarm/sprinkler system, the doors will automatically close and latch to help protect the stairwell exit enclosure.  Any locking hardware used on fire-rated stairwell doors must be listed for use as a component of a fire door assembly, and must have an active latchbolt to provide positive latching if a fire occurs.

In educational facilities, the doors leading to the stairwell from each floor must allow free egress into the stairs – even during a lockdown.  The doors will typically be equipped with fire exit hardware – panic hardware that is listed for use on a fire door.  Fire exit hardware is available with a lockable lever handle on the stair side, but in most cases this lever trim must be electrically controlled to allow remote release (read on for more about this).

With regard to locking the lever handle on the stair side of an interior stairway door, the requirements of the model codes differ.  For this reason it is crucial to be aware of which codes have been adopted in a particular jurisdiction, and whether there are state or local modifications to those codes.

• The International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC) allow interior stairway doors to have locked lever handles on the stair side.  However, if the doors are locked or lockable, the I-Codes require fail safe electrified levers that can be remotely unlocked. Currently, the I-Codes require these doors to unlock on the stair side when any of the following conditions occur:  actuation of a switch at the fire command center or other approved location, activation of the fire alarm/sprinkler system, and/or loss of power.  Remote unlocking of these doors allows building occupants to leave the stair if it becomes compromised during a fire, and these requirements apply regardless of the number of floors served by the stairway.
• NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code allows lever handles to be mechanically locked on the stairwell side if the stair is serving four stories or less.  If the stair serves more than four stories, electrified lever handles must be used unless the selected reentry requirements are followed. Electrified lever handles must be released – without unlatching the door – upon activation of the fire alarm / sprinkler system.  Selected reentry allows some doors within the stairwell to be mechanically locked, while other doors allow building occupants to leave the stairwell.  NFPA 101 includes detailed requirements related to selected reentry, but this is not recognized by the I-Codes.
• State and local requirements may vary from the model codes, so refer to the adopted codes for prescriptive information.  If stairwell doors are not lockable on the stair side, electrified hardware with remote release is not required for reentry.

Emergency Operation

As detailed above, during normal operation the model codes allow stairway doors to be locked on the stairwell side – either electrically or mechanically depending on the adopted code and other factors.  With that said, the model codes require doors facilitating reentry to be unlocked if a fire occurs.  If a stairwell becomes compromised by smoke or blocked by firefighters and equipment, building occupants must be able to leave the stair through unlocked doors, to look for another exit or wait for assistance.

The door on the second floor in this photo must allow reentry via a fail safe electrified lockset or fail safe lever trim. The stair discharge door, shown below, must not be locked on the stair side.

During a lockdown – in a school, for example – the stair doors may be locked on the stairwell side in order to limit the active shooter’s passage throughout the building.   But what happens if the fire alarm is activated during a lockdown?  This may occur either automatically due to the presence of smoke, or manually as a tactic for encouraging students and teachers to leave the relative safety of their classrooms, exposing them to danger.

If the adopted code requires stairwell doors to unlock upon fire alarm activation, and the alarm is activated during a lockdown, the stair doors might then allow the active shooter access to other floors of the building.  In some jurisdictions, the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) will consider a plan for schools to secure-in-place for a limited period of time when there is an unplanned fire alarm.  This allows a school administrator to investigate the source of the alarm and determine whether an active shooter is present.

For example, Indiana is one state that has shared information on this topic.  The Indiana Department of Homeland Security has issued a bulletin called Guidance to Schools for Unplanned Fire Alarms.  The bulletin states (in part):

If a school is equipped with a positive sequence fire alarm system, the school may develop a plan to investigate an unplanned fire alarm activation before activating the audible and visible alarms requiring evacuation. Such a plan must include a designated school official with proper training to acknowledge an alarm has been activated and initiate an investigation within 15 seconds. These schools can secure-in-place for up to 3 minutes in order for the designated school official to investigate the unplanned fire alarm activation. Following the 3-minute period, the school must evacuate, unless an active shooter is verified to be on the school’s property.

The Indiana bulletin also clarifies that doors may not be barricaded or blocked, and that egress must not be obstructed.  The bulletin notes that activating the fire alarm during an active shooter incident could cause building occupants to begin evacuation, exposing them to the shooter.  The response to an unplanned fire alarm – including the status of the stairwell door locks – is an important consideration when creating a school security and safety plan.  And as always, the requirements for egress, fire protection, and accessibility are critical elements to address along with security.

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