On International Women's Day 2023, I am so honored and grateful to be included in an article published in International Fire and Safety Journal (IFSJ), highlighting seven women working in the fire sciences and fire safety engineering fields.
Last week I visited an art and music space housed in an old cooking oil factory in Havana, Cuba. There were spaces that I would not enter, knowing what I know about nightclub fires. Today is the 20th anniversary of one of those fires - at the Station Nightclub.
Yesterday morning, a 10-alarm fire occurred at Brockton Hospital, a 216-bed health care facility in Massachusetts. The fire reportedly began in the main transformer room of the hospital, and approximately 160 patients were evacuated. More in today's post...
Although the number of violations found in the host stadium for Super Bowl LVII is a bit disconcerting, it's reassuring to know that code compliance is being taken seriously in order to help ensure life safety for occupants of the facility.
In the year since 17 people lost their lives in a fire in the Bronx, NYC has taken steps to increase awareness of fire door safety and the importance of self-closing doors. A recent investigative report from News 12 shares more information about the current situation...
Over the summer, Texas schools were required to complete a list of training, assessments, and inspections, including an Exterior Door Safety Audit. Could similar assessments become standard practice for other states?
Yesterday, the Today Show on NBC ran a story about how school districts are addressing security - including the role of the doors and locks. With mainstream media covering physical security, this important information will reach millions of people.
Many school security experts advise schools to keep classroom doors locked at all times, but is that feasible? How do we overcome the challenge of security vs. convenience? WWYD?
When a good teaching tool comes along, I get really excited. Especially when the resource is shared in the mainstream media, so it's readily available to people outside of the door and hardware industry. Please share this widely.
NBC News: “The moment she heard the first pops of gunfire, the teacher knew what she had to do: She needed to make sure that her classroom door was locked."
I recently wrote about a bill in Michigan's state legislature that would expand the use of classroom barricade devices in the state. That bill has been signed into law, allowing barricade devices to be used on doors serving assembly spaces.
Last week, NYC Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order that strengthens fire safety enforcement and outreach in the city. In addition, proposed city council legislation was filed that would increase penalties for non-compliant doors.
With the number of apartments in a metropolis like New York City, and the prevalence of fires in multifamily buildings, how are code officials ever going to get a handle on the non-code-compliant conditions?
NIST - National Institute of Standards and Technology investigated the Station Nightclub Fire and published a list of 10 recommendations based on their findings. Recommendation 5 was related to egress...
Today I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of one of my very favorite people in the door and hardware industry, Bob Jutzi. Jutzi passed away on February 15, 2022, at the age of 76, surrounded by his loved ones and his dog Lula.
There are still details that have not been released regarding the January 9th fire in a Bronx apartment building. Why didn't the apartment door and the stairwell door close and help prevent the smoke from spreading?
When it comes to fire doors, we should not rely only on the mantra, “Close the Door, Close the Door, Close the Door.” Every fire door assembly should be inspected annually – as required by current codes – and deficiencies repaired without delay.
The investigation continues into last Sunday's fire in a Bronx apartment building, and the cause of the fire has been identified as a space heater. This post includes some of the latest information regarding the effects of open doors during the fire.
Yesterday I received dozens of emails and messages about the Bronx apartment fire that caused at least 17 fatalities. As with past fires, the NYFD Commissioner highlighted the open apartment door during his press conference.
While doing some research about special amusements and the applicable code requirements, I was reminded that the 37th anniversary of a special amusements tragedy recently passed; 8 teenagers lost their lives in this fire.
I'd love to know what the fire marshal in Oklahoma City had to say about the plan for this concert! There were 100 space bubbles - each holding 1-3 people. Egress concerns, anyone? #wordless
I have written dozens of articles and blog posts on school safety and security, but it's extra-exciting when someone else writes about this topic and is in alignment with the safety requirements mandated by the model codes.
Last week I wrote about a fire in a Queens apartment building, where an open door allowed a fire to spread. FDNY shared a video that shows some of the interior of the building after the fire that left more than 200 people homeless.
I like to think that I'm pretty even-tempered...I don't get mad very often (and when I do - RUN). But every time I see an apartment fire where the door was left open as the apartment residents escaped, I feel even more frustrated and angry.
Eighteen years ago this week, I sat stunned as I watched the news reports on the fire that had occurred the night before in the nearby city of West Warwick, Rhode Island. 100 fatalities, more than 200 injured...
If you have a garage attached to your home, it is very likely that the swinging door between the garage and the house is required by code to be a 20-minute fire door assembly or the equivalent. Here's why...
Blaming fire victims for leaving the door open as they escape is not the answer. And why wait for a tragedy to occur before enacting laws that require existing apartment doors to be self-closing?
Fire door assemblies with counterfeit labels - am I the only one who finds this an extremely disturbing idea? Who knows how these doors will perform if there is a fire???
One silver lining to the pandemic may be the increased focus on gatherings that in many cases include too many people - not only for social distancing but for egress and life safety.
NFPA Journal: Safety is created by an ecosystem made up of codes, skilled workers, regular enforcement, and public understanding.
Brian Coulombe: "Door hardware is a tough subject: limitless part numbers, an evolving technology landscape, and a library of jargon unto itself..."
I find information and a solid plan helpful to me in uncertain times, and I hope that NFPA's guidance is useful to you. Stay safe!
Today's Quick Question: Can door hardware with an antimicrobial coating prevent the spread of COVID-19 or other viruses?
I don't know about you, but I've had a little trouble staying focused in recent days. I'd love to come up with some ways to use this time wisely. Any ideas?
Remember when Ohio's state codes were changed in order to allow classroom barricade devices? Almost 5 years later, questions are being raised about safety.
Some new resources on school safety and security are available, including documents from BHMA and NASFM, a story from NPR, and two federal websites.
OSHA requires emergency exits to be kept clear, to allow workers to exit quickly in an emergency. Failure to comply can result in seriously large fines. #wordless
Yesterday, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro spoke with Bill Ritter on the show Up Close about recent fires that occurred in NYC, where open doors had a negative impact on safety.
Fire, panic, and other emergencies can strike anywhere, any time. To offer the highest level of protection, buildings must be code-compliant everywhere, all the time.
We're kicking off Schlage's 100th anniversary with a new video that provides a fascinating look (really!) into the history of Walter Schlage and the Schlage Lock Company - check it out!
The statistical likelihood of a public school student being killed in a school shooting on any given day since 1999 was 1 in 614,000,000. Read more in the Washington Post...
Do you see what I see? THIS is why temporary locking devices should not be approved for doors serving a means of egress. They often become permanent locking devices!
When a shooting occurred at the University of North Carolina Charlotte last week, an electronic locking system was already in place that allowed the campus to be locked down in seconds.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this news story from ABC 15 in Arizona, about the fire and safety concerns associated with installing padlocks on prison cell doors.
It's only a matter of time before we see the unintended consequences of non-code-compliant, untested, unregulated security devices.
Twenty years ago, I had no idea how the shooting at Columbine High School would affect our industry and my career. It was impossible to imagine that it was more than an isolated event. But here we are.
As the world mourns the fire damage to the Notre Dame Cathedral, it turns out that the doors of Notre Dame are not just ordinary doors; there is a legend that dates back hundreds of years, to the 13th century.
These 3 perspectives showed up in my Google Alerts today - a school district using barricade devices, a man working in a school who wanted to use barricading when he committed a shooting, and the legal perspective. Powerful.
These news stories both happen to be from New York City, and both address topics that made me go hmmm... What do you think?
I've posted several photos and videos showing what happens when a bedroom door is kept closed during a fire. Check out this demonstration with the bedroom door open.
