NFPA 3000 – Training Opportunity!
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.
School Security and Safety in the News
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.
Virginia Tech: Remembering the Lessons Learned
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.
Barricade Devices – Three Perspectives
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.
WWYD? ‘Small Town at War Over Active-Shooter Barricades’
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.
FF: Richland Two Institute of Innovation
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.
Decoded: Why Barricade Devices? (May 2019)
Why would a school district consider using unregulated security devices, given the associated risk and liability? The answer may surprise you.
Wicked Local: School’s Locks Violate Codes
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...
WW: Solve for Tomorrow Competition
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.
PASS Whitepaper on Classroom 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 on Classroom Barricade Devices
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.
MSD Public Safety Commission Report
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.
WW: Wordless
I have spent two days trying to figure out what to write in this post. I'm still thinking.
Michele Gay on Classroom Security
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!
NFPA 3000 Webinar – Archived Recording
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.
WWYD? Classroom Exit Alarm
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.
DSSF – NFPA 3000 Webinar
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.
WW: Classroom Egress
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.
WW: Fire Hose Security, Revisited
As I've said before...as a last resort anything goes, but THIS SHOULD NOT BE PLAN A! Do you agree or disagree?
Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety
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 Takes Stand Against Non-Code-Compliant Door Barricades
Campus Safety will no longer accept ads or sponsorships from companies whose door barricades don’t comply with ADA and NFPA codes.
PASS Guidelines – 4th Edition
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!
Our Lady of the Angels – 60 Years
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.
FF: Not Punny
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.
WWYD? School Security in the News
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?
Hard Corners
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?
TEDx: “Stupid School Security and Discipline Policies”
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.
School Security on Election Day
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?
FF: WWYD?
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?
Fire Marshal Guidance for Unplanned Fire Alarms
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.
Editorial: The Security Industry’s Role in School Safety and Security
Recent news reports have questioned the motivation behind the security industry’s involvement in improving school security. This editorial represents my perspective.
School Safety Specialist Academy
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?
WW: I’m at a loss for words…
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.
FEMA PrepTalks: Rethinking School Safety
Michele Gay is the mom of Josephine Gay, a first-grade student who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Michele brings a different perspective to what we do every day. Please watch.
Classroom Security – 4 Questions
It has been 74 days since I have written about classroom barricade devices. This refresher is posted by request, and in honor of Safe Schools Week.
OSFM Letter on Classroom Security
Thank you to everyone who forwarded this letter from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. I appreciate your help keeping track of what is happening in each state.
The Popular Mechanics Guide to Safer Schools
At this point I've probably read hundreds of articles on school safety and security, and written dozens of blog posts and articles on the topic myself. This one was a pleasant surprise.
FF: It ain’t pretty…
Although this is not one of the most beautiful solutions I've seen, I couldn't think of a code issue as long as the hold-opens are above the minimum clear headroom of 80 inches. What do you think?
‘Bulletproof’ Classroom Doors
I agree that these doors are "an extremely discreet solution," but the last time I checked on the feasibility of using bullet-resistant doors on classrooms, there were several common objections.
My heart just stopped
Clothesline to tie the hardware? Duct tape to prevent smoke from coming in around the door? Solutions to address these risks have been available for decades. Why are we substituting duct tape?
What is NFPA’s stance on barricade devices?
During a segment of NFPA Live, Robert Solomon, Division Director of NFPA, was asked about barricade devices on egress doors.
Security for Higher Ed
Imagine that you work for a university, you read iDigHardware, and you find out that I'm wandering around your campus. I'm guessing there were some mixed emotions...
Health/Life Safety Glossary
One of the difficulties faced by those of us advocating for code-compliant school security is the public perception that many states are allowing classroom barricade devices. This is not true...
Advisory – School Emergency Planning and Door Locking
Over the past year I've been collecting school security information from various states, and adding links to the school security page of iDigHardware. Last week I received an advisory from Greg Thomson of Allegion, that made me so happy I got a little misty.
State Funding for School Security
In the last year or so, much more funding has become available for school security upgrades - millions of dollars. But how should the money be spent?
Decoded: NFPA 3000 (August 2018)
Given that NFPA 3000 is a standard for preparation and response to an active shooting, how does that affect the door and hardware industry?
WW: “Bulletproof” Backpacks
"The concept of bullet-resistant shields is unsettling to school stakeholders, because esoteric products such as this make no real contribution to a safe learning environment."
School Superintendents Association Shares Information on Barricade Devices
The School Superintendents Association (AASA) is sharing safety concerns about classroom barricade devices with their 13,000+ members. Visit iDigHardware to get a copy of the document that is being distributed.
WWYD? Impact-Resistant Glazing/Film
The glazing goes hand-in-hand with the door hardware - even the most secure hardware can be overcome by breaking the glass.
WW: Safety vs. Security
I'm confused about this conflict between newly-adopted code requirements and what the media is reporting. Can anyone share some insight?