Back to School
Why are the security measures in these two school districts so different? In your opinion, what are the most important physical security measures for schools to implement?
Why are the security measures in these two school districts so different? In your opinion, what are the most important physical security measures for schools to implement?
Here's a heads-up going out to all of the detailers, architects, and door manufacturers out there...double-check the vision light locations for classroom doors.
Wilson County Schools: “We don’t use barricaded door hardware,” Wilson County Director of Safety Steve Spencer said. “The reason is...
This is one of the most egregious examples of a non-code-compliant egress modification that I've ever seen, and yes, it was in a school.
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!
Will this screen door latch keep out a school shooter? Or maybe two would be sufficient? Hopefully we'll never have to find out.
This video from Bowling Green State University gives some good background on the ALICE program and on the university's emergency response protocols. Check it out and let me know what you think.
This is not a typical Wordless Wednesday post. In fact, there are a lot of words, but this is an important topic. If this can happen in Massachusetts, it can happen anywhere.
If a school is equipped with security cameras and access control on the main entrance, it's just one more step to allow law enforcement to remotely unlock the doors for emergency response.
In recent months, the PASS guidelines have been recognized by several state and federal organizations aiming to improve school safety and security. Read more about it in today's post.
I graduated from college more than 30 years ago, and based on my experience with my soon-to-be college freshman, times have changed!
In the almost-5,000 schools that experience structure fires each year, what percentage of the buildings are equipped with sprinkler systems?
The May issue of Door Security + Safety Magazine is available for members and non-members to read online! Will you become a Lock Don't Block Ambassador?
When I mentioned that people must be getting tired of hearing me talk about school safety, the response was, "If people can die without our voices, we kind of need to keep talking…"
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.
When classroom doors are kept locked all the time, it can be inconvenient for teachers and for students trying to enter the classroom when the door is closed. This is one school district's solution.
It's only a matter of time before we see the unintended consequences of non-code-compliant, untested, unregulated security devices.
Is your facility or community prepared for an active shooter / hostile event? NFPA has a great training opportunity coming up in June - learn more about NFPA 3000.
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.
This week marks 12 years since the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech. Considering the lessons learned during that incident, it's surprising that the use of classroom barricade devices would be considered by state lawmakers.
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.
This is INSANITY! This is yet another example of seeking to remove the safety protocols of the adopted codes, in order to prioritize security at a perceived lower cost.
If our industry is so complex that the students' research didn't turn up existing products or a hardware advisor, we need to get more user-friendly.
Why would a school district consider using unregulated security devices, given the associated risk and liability? The answer may surprise you.
A news report hit my inbox a few days ago, which discussed a security situation in a Massachusetts elementary school; some classroom barricade devices had been installed in 2014...
I love the idea of putting our heads together to search for solutions, but inventors need to consider authorized access, free egress, and accessibility, in addition to security.
If you are looking for one document that explains the concerns associated with classroom security methods, the recently-updated PASS white paper is a great tool!
Guy Grace is the Director of Security & Emergency Planning for Littleton, Colorado - the school district where Columbine High School is located. Here is his stance on classroom barricade devices.
We must continue to learn from this research, to help avoid or reduce the effects of future active-shooter incidents. Please invest some time today, in memory of the MSDHS victims.
I have spent two days trying to figure out what to write in this post. I'm still thinking.
This video from Michele Gay of Safe and Sound Schools is a great tool for educating parents, teachers, and school administrators about school security and safety. Share it!
One part of this webinar that got my attention was the EMS perspective on how a delay in accessing the classroom could affect the medical outcome. The archived webinar is linked in this post.
I really need your expertise on this one...talk to me about exit alarms to deter the use of classroom doors, or to at least notify the teacher that someone has opened the door.
Training alert! On January 16th the DSSF will host a webinar on NFPA 3000 - Standard for Active Shooter / Hostile Event Response (ASHER), presented by John Montes of NFPA.
Andrew Harris of Willis Klein sent me today's Wordless Wednesday photo, and it's disheartening. This is the exterior door of a middle school classroom with one or more students who have special needs.
As I've said before...as a last resort anything goes, but THIS SHOULD NOT BE PLAN A! Do you agree or disagree?
Some thoughts about the newly-released federal report, and some of the documents that are referenced in the report...have you read it yet?
Campus Safety will no longer accept ads or sponsorships from companies whose door barricades don’t comply with ADA and NFPA codes.
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) has released the fourth edition of its Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools - visit PASSK12.org to download the guidelines!
Saturday, December 1st, 2018 was the 60th anniversary of the fire at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago, where 92 students and 3 nuns were killed.
I thought of so many titles for this post that would have been apropos but might have offended someone, so I'll let you come up with your own.
I'd love to hear your opinions on some of the recent media coverage that presents the school security industry negatively. Are they talking about US? If not, how do we make that clear?
Are these safe areas identified in each of the classrooms in the schools that you work with or visit? What do you think of this security measure?
This TEDx speaker has an interesting perspective on school security. It's not all about hardening, monitoring, defending. The decisions made now could have lasting effects on kids.
Were schools in your city or town used as polling places in last week's election? What precautions were taken to maintain security and safety while allowing access to all registered voters?
What would you do if you were in this situation? It's not always easy to do the right thing, but could you live with yourself if something happened?
Remember when a fire alarm during the school day meant exiting immediately in an orderly fashion and enjoying a few minutes away from our desks? Times are changing.
Recent news reports have questioned the motivation behind the security industry’s involvement in improving school security. This editorial represents my perspective.
Requiring each school district to employ a certified school safety specialist seems like a great way to ensure that the right information gets to each community. Does your state have such a program?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's Wordless Wednesday photo. This is in direct conflict with everything I learned about life safety in hardware school.