There's more virtual training available this week, and an early notification of a session being hosted next week by DHI and DSSF. This webinar covers application of the 5th edition of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools Guidelines.
Security in 30 is BACK, and I'm so excited that one of the requested topics is...CODES! If you are an access control integrator, please join me next Friday, February 19th at 12:30 EST, for Security in 30: Live with Allegion.
It's a new year, and the online training opportunities continue! Here's what's available this week in both the Allegion 101 series and the Webinar Wednesday series. Feel free to share this information with others in your office.
Glenn Younger of Grah Safe & Lock sent me this photo of a gate serving an area where elopement of small children is a concern. I think this is a great application - I'm wondering what you all think.
Although I've heard people say that no pricetag is too high when protecting our most precious assets, there are checks and balances to consider. What do you think about school security methods like this one?
As 2020 (finally) draws to a close, we have year-end projects to finish and hopefully some down-time with our families. But there's still time to learn, and our training team has plenty of options available.
What do you want to learn about? Whether you're new to the industry or you want to get into the nitty-gritty of delayed egress and controlled egress locks, you have options!
This is a great training opportunity for people who are new to the architectural hardware industry or who want to fill in some gaps in their industry education. Please share this info!
Do you see any problems with today's Wordless Wednesday photo? While this might seem like an easy way to secure these doors, I have some concerns.
Safe Schools Week is nearly here and we have a fantastic webinar coming up, along with 4 more sessions from our national trainers on Webinar Wednesday, and the next Security in 30!
The online training offered by our national trainers for the last 20(!) Webinar Wednesdays will continue into October. Here's what's scheduled for this week...
In case you missed Paul Timm's webinar last week, the recording is now available. And...our national trainers will be conducting 4 live sessions tomorrow.
I think it's safe to say that "back-to-school" looks different for everyone this year. This Thursday, Paul Timm will be presenting a webinar on adjustments to schoool security protocols.
In the 2018 edition of NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code, requirements for alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers for new and existing schools are found in Sections 14.4.4 and 15.4.4.
I think online learning is here to stay. Which doesn't mean that we'll never see each other in person again, but there's a lot we can learn in the meantime.
Yes, it's Week 23. So if you're feeling a little webinar-ed out, that's probably why. I get it - I've been in the house for 133 days with only brief trips out for errands...
As many of you already know, my oldest daughter is starting her second year at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, an early-adopter of mobile credentials.
There are SO MANY great opportunities to learn something new this week! Please share this list with any of your colleagues who might be interested!
Don't miss this week's line-up of online classes...automatic operators, electrified hardware, hollow metal doors and frames, and school security.
Our national trainers are continuing with their Webinar Wednesday series - classes are currently scheduled into August. Feel free to share this information with your colleagues.
For any jurisdictions that have adopted NFPA codes and standards, this month's NFPA Journal has a great summary of some of the major changes coming in the 2021 editions.
This week we have 5 different webinars available, so you can continue your training online. Check out the options - there's something for everyone!
The recording of Paul Timm's webinar on access control best practices for schools is now available!
Please share any trends you have seen on new school projects or existing buildings...the safety of all students will benefit from shared best practices (and there's an iDigHardware Yeti travel mug up for grabs!).
Just a friendly reminder to go one step further and ensure that the egress requirements are met while exits are being modified or other construction projects are in progress.
While COVID-19 restrictions are a form of forced access control to school facilities, timeless issues must be addressed. Join DHI and the Door Security & Safety Foundation for this webinar...
This Wordless Wednesday photo is an unbelievable example of the abusive conditions a door might face in a school. What do you think happened here?
Thank you to those who attended the live webinar last week! The webinars page has been updated with the recording, a list of resources, a short survey, and information about Webinar 2!
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.
If you're looking to learn more about school safety and security, there are some upcoming opportunities for training and networking - from Safe and Sound Schools, PASS, Allegion, and me!
Some new resources on school safety and security are available, including documents from BHMA and NASFM, a story from NPR, and two federal websites.
Webinars...they're the next best thing to being there, right? Since I can't be with each of you in person, I hope you will join me on some of my upcoming (and free) webinars.
My next Decoded article explains why it is important for the ADA and all adopted codes and standards to be considered when choosing security products. Let me know if I missed anything!
I can not for the life of me think of any circumstances that would make me consider locking egress doors in a school using this method. Just no. Never. #wordless
The new year (and some rest over the holidays) has renewed my resolve to continue educating school districts and others about the dangers of some types of retrofit security devices...
When I was in high school, our school actually had a patio next to the cafeteria that was the authorized "smoking area" for the students. Times have changed.
News reports indicate during a serious fire that occurred last month in a Scotland high school, the lockdown system prevented immediate egress.
I recently shared an announcement about a webinar with 5 panelists who discussed school safety and classroom security. In case you missed it, today's post includes the recording of that webinar.
Today's Quick Question: Are door bolts - like the surface bolts made by commercial hardware manufacturers - allowed to secure classroom doors during a lockdown?
This is going to be a great webinar! There is a fabulous line-up of presenters with an incredible depth of experience and insight to share.
Here are the answers to yesterday's real-world questions about the egress requirements for this high school music classroom. Read the other post first if you want to give it a try.
Try applying your knowledge of the International Building Code to a real-world example...can you answer these 4 questions about the egress requirements for this high school music classroom?
My next Decoded article covers the tentative interim amendment - TIA 1436, which revised NFPA 101 in order to allow 2 releasing operations to unlatch existing classroom doors.
End users MUST understand the applicable code requirements before purchasing security products, and it's our job to educate them. We can't focus solely on security at the expense of life safety.
Between 2013 and 2017, an average of 4,859 structure fires occurred in educational facilities each year, and only 39% of the schools where fires occurred had sprinkler systems. Read more...
This new infographic aims to help clear some of the confusion about the various lock functions used on classroom doors. Feel free to share it!
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...
I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all answer for classroom security, but as we consider each new problem, it's important to remember the progression of the security methods used over past decades.
Much of the testimony given at a recent hearing clearly outlines the reasons that barricade devices are not the optimal method of securing classroom doors.
If an existing lockset on a classroom door requires a teacher to open the door when locking it (potentially exposing the teacher to danger), there is a way to change the lock function at a reasonable price.