The challenge with designing safer, more secure buildings is that there are often no officially recognized standards that list what features and materials should be used for enhanced security. While there are some states that require building hardening for specific projects and some requirements for federal buildings, project teams mostly rely on best-practice recommendations from recognized sources like the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) and the International Code Council (ICC).

It is important to note that these recommendations usually speak only to school settings. Commercial spaces and other project types may have different constraints and concerns. This can lead to confusion and challenges not only around which design approaches most effectively improve security, but also around which ratings are most appropriate for a project.

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