FF: Power Transfer?
Today's Fixed-it Friday photo from an anonymous friend is a classic example of the coordination problems that can so easily arise when doors, frame, and hardware from multiple vendors arrive on the job-site...
WW: Chained Exit
These photos are the definition of Wordless Wednesday. I saw them posted on the Truck Floor Training Facebook page and asked for permission to share them here...
ALICE does not endorse any brand of barricading devices
When discussing code-compliant security with staff from schools and other types of facilities, I've heard one comment several times..."If ALICE training [the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, our local police department] advocates the barricading of doors with furniture, why can't we use the door barricade devices that are now on the market?"
Last Decoded Class – Codes for Electrified Hardware
There is one more online class in the series of four that I'm teaching on behalf of the Door & Hardware Institute - this Wednesday, February 18th, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern. I'll be covering the code requirements pertaining to electrified hardware...
FF: Hinge Pin Stop
I have not yet seen this product (the DoorSaver II) in use, but I've definitely seen distributors enlarging the hole in a residential hinge pin stop in order to use it on a commercial hinge. This looks like an interesting idea...
WW: Shattered security – Surviving Red Lake teacher calls for change
I've written several posts about glass used in schools, and many posts about traditional wired glass (refer to the Glass tab above). A reader recently shared the video below and although it was recorded several years ago it includes very valid information for schools to consider when addressing security. I can't embed the video, so click the graphic to visit the news site.
Close the Door Please, I’m Busy in Here – Kelly M. Byrne
What I like about the Rescue 2 Training post is that it gives the firefighter perspective on why a closed door can be so helpful during a fire. If every firefighter understood the value of fire doors (and other doors), imagine how much more attention the non-compliant doors would get...
FF: Lego Automatic Door Operator
I was a Lego Robotics coach last year, and we barely got our robot to knock down the cups in the maze. This Fixed-it Friday video of a Lego Mindstorm automatic door operator is impressive...
Decoded: Electrified Hardware Refresher (April 2015)
There are 7 basic code categories for electrified hardware used to control access or egress, and this edition of Decoded provides a brief refresher on each as well as some recent code changes. Many of these code applications, but not all, fall into the category commonly called “special locking arrangements.”
WW: Surviving an Active Shooter
This PSA was recently released by the LA County Sheriff's Department. It is a very graphic representation of how to survive an active shooter situation. It is obviously not acceptable for use with kids, but it does show a classroom security lock used by a teacher, as well as a locked exit blocking the escape of a victim...
Baby It’s Cold Outside – Phil Chandler
We've received close to 4 feet of snow in the last week, so when I saw The Inspector's column in this month's e-NewZone monthly newsletter from The Center for Campus Fire Safety, I asked them if I could share it here...
WWYD? Fire Door Closing Cycle
I was asked this question last week - when testing a swinging fire door to determine whether it closes and latches, what degree of opening is used? Do you open the door fully? Does the door have to close and latch from any position?
FF: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
I really love this restaurant, but every time I go I wonder if someone approved this egress arrangement or it just sorta happened as they were hanging the drapes...
New Products for Oversized Fire Door Clearances
Clearances in excess of those allowed by NFPA 80 are one of the most common problems with fire door assemblies, and can be very difficult to resolve. National Guard Products has just released two new UL Certified accessories for excessive fire door clearances...
WW: Don’t Dowel Doors
Paul Elliott sent me these Wordless Wednesday photos of retail egress issues he has run across. When he mentioned the dowel to a store employee, the employee said, "No problem. We’ll untie it if there’s a fire." No joke.
“Buyer Beware” – Paul Timm, RETA Security
Paul Timm: "For those pursuing alternative solutions, it is important to consider that some schools have installed after-market devices only to find out that code violations require their removal. Buyer beware!"
Fire Doors: The First Line of Defense
This article was published in the January 2015 issue of Locksmith Ledger.
FF: Screwed Up
The card reader in this photo was installed to prevent access to the stairs on the other side of this door. A card reader on the push side of a door with an electric strike and panic hardware doesn't provide security, because you can just push on the touchpad of the panic to exit. To rectify that "problem," someone installed a screw in the panic hardware so the touchpad will not retract the latch.
Security Screens for K-12 Entries
Windows and glass doors are among the most vulnerable access points in a school. Criminals can break glass to climb through or reach in and unlock the entry. The security industry has responded with two solutions to slow down a criminal looking to break into a school building...
WW: Shop Till You Drop
Since it's Wordless Wednesday, I'll let you tell me what's wrong with this "key-operated lock" application. Extra credit if you can tell me what changed about the key-operated lock requirements in the 2015 IBC...
Decoded: Egress Terminology
As I mentioned in my previous column, there are other factors that affect the quantity and location of egress doors, beyond the general requirements for 2, 3, or 4 exits depending on the occupant load. For example, doors used for egress need to be located remotely...
Another Fire Door Win
Although the news reports are focused on the recent loss of a historic school in Champlain, New York, a fire door between the original section and a 1960's addition did help to prevent the spread of smoke and flames:
Series on Historic Fires
There have been many fires throughout history that have shaped our current codes, and I recently ran across a series in the Enid (Oklahoma) News which includes several events that impacted the door and hardware industry specifically. As I've said before, I think we can learn a lot from the past...
Fire Door Win! (and a fail)
Reporter Quote: "The people who ran from the room where the fire began left the door open behind them, and the fire quickly spread into the hallway..." Fire Department Quote: "There's a fire door that separates the two compartments of that wing, and it did its job..."
FF: Security Mesh
I've started 2015 with quite a few posts about school security. This is probably because I've been working so closely with the BHMA Codes and Government Affairs Committee and other organizations to review state requirements and propose code changes that will increase security in schools while maintaining safety. I tend to write about whatever I'm working on. If you're tired of school-related posts, feel free to suggest something else you'd like me to write about - I'm easily distracted (Hey look! A squirrel! :) ) For today's Fixed-it Friday post I have yet another school security topic (although it could apply to other types of buildings), and I'd love your feedback.
HMMA 850-14: Fire Protection and Smoke Control Rated Hollow Metal Door and Frame Products
The Hollow Metal Manufacturers Association (HMMA) is a division of the National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers (NAAMM), and publishes more than two dozen reference documents related to hollow metal doors and frames...
WW: Peas and Corn
Parents of middle schoolers at the W.F. Burns Middle School in Valley, Alabama, received the letter below asking them to send a canned food item to school for use as part of their school security plan. I'm going to keep Wordless on this one, so I can hear the opinions of all y'all...
Lawsuit Filed Over Lax School Security
Among the allegations is that Sandy Hook Elementary School had security policies and procedures in place that teachers weren't able to follow on the day of the killings. Classroom doors could only be locked from the outside with keys...
Online Training Ops
My next online Decoded class will be held on Wednesday, January 21st from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern. This is the third class in the series of 4 presented on behalf of the Door & Hardware Institute, and I will cover the requirements for life safety and egress...
FF: Residential Corridors
The purpose of cross-corridor doors in this application would be to compartmentalize the building. The magnetic holders make it clear that the intention is for the doors to close if there is a fire alarm. This is obviously not going to happen if there are wood wedges in place...
School Security – How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program, by Paul Timm
Paul Timm: "...The riskiest options employed today rely on relatively inexpensive aftermarket products that cover strike plates, prop open locked doors, or prevent ingress from the hallway..."
WW: Hard Wired
Today's Wordless Wednesday photos were sent by Jim McDonald of Twin City Hardware (who is not responsible for this installation!)...
Ohio Advisory Statement – Egress in Educational Occupancies
As I've said before, I would like to collect the official statements on school security from various jurisdictions, to get a more complete picture of what is being approved from one state to the next. Back in September I posted a memo from the New York State Education Department, and today I received a copy of the Ohio Advisory Statement that I mentioned in yesterday's post. You can find a copy of the complete document on the City of Dayton's website.
Retrofit Security Devices In the News
A few weeks ago I wrote about a community group in Ohio that raised $30,000 to purchase a barricade device for each classroom door in their school district. Over the weekend I saw a headline about this school district from the Newark Advocate: SWL Schools Unable to Use Donated Door Barricades...
Decoded: Calculating the Egress Width of Door Openings
A common question when replacing doors and hardware during a renovation is whether one leaf of a pair can be “fixed” in place, or whether an opening can be eliminated completely. It’s very risky to make this decision without consulting the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), but it is helpful to understand some of the factors that could affect the location, size, and quantity of required exits before preparing your request for the AHJ...
Decoded: Test Your Knowledge (January 2015)
You may have already noticed...I've been taking a little time off between the holidays, but here's something to keep you busy until I'm back in action next Monday...
WWYD: Fusible Link Arms
NFPA 80 does not prohibit their use but the International Building Code (IBC) requires automatic-closing doors in certain locations to be smoke-activated...automatic-closing by the actuation of smoke detectors...
Elevator Machine Rooms
Two of our specwriters recently asked me about elevator machine rooms (which would fit the description of "rooms not normally occupied by humans"), because they had specified manual flush bolts on elevator machine rooms, and had been told that automatic flush bolts are required...
FF: Do Not Pull
Most magnetic holders provide 20-30 pounds of holding force, and can be released manually by pulling on the door to separate the door-mounted armature from the wall-mounted magnet. The signage here tells me that the magnet is probably not anchored to the wall properly, and I guess adding a sign is one way to fix the problem...
Locked Egress Doors in Health Care Facilities
In January of this year, I wrote about a tragic fire at a senior home in L'Isle Verte, Quebec, in which 32 of the home's residents were killed. The inquest into this incident is currently underway, and I've been keeping an ear to the ground to see if there are any lessons to share...
WW: Please Open Door Slowly
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo was spotted on Flickr by Deputy Jeff Tock of Allegion. I wonder how long this sign has been dangling...
Life Safety vs. School Security
It has been two years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Security has become a priority for many school districts, and I do believe that schools are more secure now. Added security won't be able to prevent every school-related incident, especially when so many of the "intruders" have actually been members of the school community - often students...
FF: New LCN Special Template
It's called the Ives Cush Stop (just kidding - we don't endorse this application!)...
Video: NIST Fire Simulation
A report recently released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) examines the fire dynamics of a house fire in Chicago, where failure of a door released hot gases and resulted in the death of a firefighter.
WW: Not an Exit (Any More)
This door is in a high school auditorium, and although it no longer seems to be used as an exit (and there are marked exits nearby), it is the first door you see when attempting to exit. Many AHJs will tell you that if it looks like an exit, it has to act like an exit...
FBI Study on Active Shooters
One of the speakers at last week's NFPA School Safety Summit was Katherine Schweit, a Supervisory Special Agent for the FBI. Agent Schweit spoke about the FBI's Active Shooter Initiative, and the published study that was recently released.
Online Decoded Class 2
My next online Decoded class will be held on Wednesday, December 17th from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern. This is the second class in the series of 4 presented on behalf of the Door & Hardware Institute where I will cover the requirements for fire door assemblies, including...
FF: I’m Wordless
I know it's Fixed-it Friday, but I'm Wordless. Maybe you can help? Caption this...
Mag-Locks Revisited
I'm at the NFPA School Safety Summit this week and it has been an amazing opportunity to hear from code officials, first responders, and other experts, and to break into smaller groups to discuss school safety issues and the necessary code changes. I'll definitely have more to report on this later.
WW: Esoteric Exits
If I had a dollar for every time I was asked to make a door invisible, I'd have enough money to buy that desert island I've been dreaming of. But then y'all would have to find a new place to send your Wordless Wednesday photos...