If insurance companies stop paying claims because of fire door assemblies that are not properly maintained, or because a fire door was not closed and latched when the fire occurred, fire doors are going to start getting a lot more attention...
Happy New Year! There was lots of door-related news over the holidays...
Last week I was contacted by an architect from Istanbul, about a recent fire that occurred in a girls' dormitory there. There were 12 fatalities...
I have several Google News alerts set, so every day I receive a few emails with lists of articles that might be interesting to the readers of iDigHardware. There was one on today's list about fire door inspection...
Over the years I've had many people ask me, "If I'm the last person to work on this door, could I be held responsible for existing code problems with the opening?"
Last week, the family of Colleen Ritzer filed a lawsuit against the town of Danvers, the school department, the architectural firm that designed the new wing of the school where the teacher was killed, and the cleaning company...
UL Launches "Close Your Door" Pledge to Help Prevent Fire Deaths
I've been having some technical difficulties which affected the website and my email, and several people have contacted me to say (as my mother would say), "I'm worried that you are in a ditch somewhere!"
Last night, my friend posted on Facebook that her daughter, a freshman in college, had received a text warning from the school that there was a creepy clown nearby...
I'm not a spotlight-seeker...when I was growing up, I wanted to be a back-up singer - not the headliner. But there's a member-spotlight article about me in this month's issue of Doors & Hardware that I feel like I should save for posterity (and Mom). I even got a new head shot...
To celebrate some exciting milestones and the 7-year anniversary of iDigHardware, we’re giving away a $100 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner every day for 7 days!
Kudos to the fire department, but the fire doors got some recognition too! From KCRA News...
For the last year or more, our industry has been dealing with legislation overriding the code development process in several states, with regard to classroom security...
Something exciting happened at the conference for me personally. A few days before I left for Orlando I got a call from my friend Sue Flowers of Cleveland-Vicon...
If you'll be attending the conference, I hope to see you in some of our sessions - 3 of the Code Jeopardy classes are more "basic" (but very educational!) questions, and 3 classes have "advanced" questions (on need-to-know topics!). This is a fun way to learn about codes - yes, I said "FUN!"
In this age of classroom shootings, many are looking for barricade locks - a cheap and easy stopgap to bolster door security...
After yesterday's discussion in the comments about the lack of feasibility of annual fire door inspections, I think it's time for a reminder of how much protection a closed door can be during a fire. While inspecting all of the existing fire doors may seem like an insurmountable task...
Nobody ever thinks it will happen to them...a fire in their home, school, or workplace. But according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 5,690 structure fires in educational properties between 2007 and 2011. I've written many times about how important it is...
This press release is from UK-based BWF Certifire, but the US faces the same fire door problems that are endangering building occupants every day. Kudos to BWF Certifire for raising awareness of the value of fire doors...we NEED a similar program in the US, but who is willing to take it on? Scroll down for an informative video produced by the British Woodworking Foundation...
Jay Liptrot is a Wales landlord, and ironically - a firefighter, who failed to install a fire door assembly to protect an apartment where 2 adults and 3 children died in a tragic act of arson. Although he was originally charged with manslaughter, his charge was reduced and he was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison...
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) has released a white paper detailing their position on classroom barricade devices. This position statement provides valuable information for any jurisdiction or school district considering the use of these devices to secure classroom doors...
A few weeks ago I mentioned that there would be a meeting with the Ohio Board of Building Standards to discuss the proposed code language allowing classroom barricade devices. Quite a few of you left comments, and like me, most felt that the proposed language does not go far enough to keep teachers and students safe...
I know...lots of videos this week. It's just a coincidence - not a new trend. I'll just leave this right here...
On Tuesday I posted some news reports about the effects of a closed door during a fire. NBC-5 has released a follow-up story on the fact that national fire safety organizations have not been including the message to sleep with your bedroom door closed in their educational materials...
I've been talking about this for years with regard to fire doors as well as doors in a home, but it's nice to have someone from UL back me up...
On Thursday, November 12, my coworker (and old college friend!), Bill Lawliss, will be conducting webinars at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eastern. Bill will cover Basic Hardware - products used to hang, secure, control, and protect the door. The webinar offers 1 CEU for AIA members and there is no charge to attend the class.
I'm working on some more information to post here, but for now I wanted to share this article from Al Jazeera America. It is the very FIRST mainstream media article I've seen that addresses some of the problems associated with the use of classroom barricade devices...
A 91-year-old man with dementia has died after wandering onto the roof of the housing authority apartment building where he lived in Batavia, New York. News reports are citing an unlocked door leading to the roof - it may have locked after the man passed through it...
You may have read the AP article that appeared in the news media across the country over the weekend, addressing some of the concerns associated with classroom barricade devices. In case you missed it...
Ohio BBS Guidance Document: "Schools are being cautioned against purchasing and deploying devices before the rules take effect as some devices currently on the market may not be allowable once new rules are adopted."
A malfunctioning power strip is getting most of the media attention for causing this fire, but Fox 13 reported that "a closed door kept the fire from spreading beyond the guidance counselors' offices, and therefore it did not reach any classrooms."
Today's post was delayed because of a computer glitch, but I want to make sure the notification reaches my subscribers asap in case any of you want to participate in this upcoming webinar offered by Allegion - AIA continuing education credit is available. Sorry for the late-night notification!
Last week I published a blog post on my excitement about the upcoming CoNEXTions event, which was cancelled later that day because of ongoing civil unrest in Baltimore. I received the Karpen Steel newsletter today which shares Rachel Smith's perspective, and I asked for permission to share this letter here...
A fire door is being credited with keeping flames contained at a Sturgis manufacturing building...Three people were found unconscious in a stairwell filled with smoke...As Fire Chief Drake put it, the simple act of closing the door can save the lives and contents behind it...
This news report is a great Fixed-it Friday example of how the city of Barrie, Ontario is going to fix their fire code violations - by giving fire inspectors the ability to hand out tickets for violations on the spot. The fine for propping open fire doors? $350 each!
Take a close look around the next time you’re in a school building. Notice the fire alarms, extinguishers, rescue windows and frequent drills? They can all be traced back to that fateful day, experts say. “All of that put together has made our school buildings so safe when it comes to fires,” said David G. Hess, Cleveland Hill’s director of facilities. “That fire has really made a difference.”
This video offers some good options for school security, along with predicted outcomes of the Sandy Hook lawsuit regarding security glazing and lockable classroom doors. We need to make schools SAFE AND SECURE - these goals are not mutually exclusive.
The Leelanau County Sheriff's Department received $128,750 from a Michigan State Police school safety grant, and Sheriff Mike Borkovich said every penny will go toward installing a tool designed to make doors impenetrable. "I think it's very much just like a caveman picking up a gigantic rock and putting it on the front of its cave," Borkovich said. "You are not going to be able to go through that door. It buys us time."
If you are a member of the New England Chapter of DHI I hope you already know about this upcoming class, but in case you didn't get the memo...I will be teaching a code class next week along with Jeff Batick, Greg DeGirolamo, Paul Goldense, and Jim White. This class will be available for other DHI chapters to teach, as long as there are a few members who can act as facilitators. If you're interested in hosting the class, drop me an email and I'll get you in touch with the right person at DHI. We are using the 2015 IBC for next week's class, but it could be taught using other editions of the IBC if necessary. The class is worth 9 DHI CEP points, with 4 additional points for the facilitators.
This Fixed-it Friday news report about replacing entrance doors in multi-family homes makes a few good points, but misses out on the chance to educate people about how their fire doors should operate. I noticed a few things that weren't 100% accurate or could have been more clear...like the statement that you don't need fire doors in your single-family home. I would have mentioned the need for protection between the garage and the house - the International Residential Code requires a solid wood door, or a solid or honeycomb core steel door, or a 20-minute fire door:
Looking forward to working with my friends at Zero! Here's the latest news from Tim Eckersley to Allegion customers...
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!"
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:
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...
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..."
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...
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.
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.
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...
Most of you know how important a door can be in preventing the spread of fire, but recent efforts are helping the general public understand the value of their doors and how to use them as a tool to save lives...
