During yesterday's shooting at UCLA, Brian Fochler tagged me in a photo tweeted from the engineering building where the shooting was taking place, which was my first indication that something lock-related was happening. Since then I've received many other emails...
Schools have been able to use magnets over locking mechanisms, allowing doors to be easily opened throughout the day and still lock quickly by simply removing the magnet. But by Jan. 1, 2018, that quick fix will no longer be enough...
Here's the latest on classroom barricade devices...let me know what's happening in your state.
The National Center for Education Statistics has just published an updated report for Indicators of School Crime and Safety through 2015. The good news is...
In this age of classroom shootings, many are looking for barricade locks - a cheap and easy stopgap to bolster door security...
If a school decides to buy all new doorknobs for their school, and only buy a lever handle for the one classroom with a teacher who has a disability, in my opinion that would not meet the intent of the ADA. What makes it ok to do the same thing with classroom barricade devices?
Safety officials are concerned a new state law that allows barricade devices on classroom doors could make a crisis situation worse. The idea sounds great...
THE VOTES ARE IN, and the code change proposed by BHMA to address classroom locking in the 2018 IBC has been approved as modified by public comment!
These school security requirements could eventually be incorporated into your state's school security legislation. What additions or changes would you like to see?
Last week, the debut event of the Congressional School Safety Caucus on Capitol Hill was hosted by the Security Industry Association (SIA). This event brought together the co-chairs of the caucus with school security experts to talk strategy, and included a panel discussion moderated by Tim Eckersley...
As a member of the door and hardware industry, my focus with regard to classroom lockdown is how to provide security without jeopardizing safety. Lt. Joseph Hendry of the Kent State University Police Department looks at the issue from a slightly different (and valuable) perspective...
In yesterday's post I wrote about a video on classroom barricade devices that had gone viral. In the first 36 hours or so, the video had 18 million views. 18 MILLION! Almost 600,000 people have shared the video on Facebook, and about 6,500 people have commented. This is an amazing (and somewhat disturbing) example of the power of social media...
A video about classroom barricade devices - a particular company's devices, actually - has been posted on a Facebook page and has gone viral. Right now, about 14 hours after it was posted, it has over 3 million views. There are over 1,000 comments - many of them in support of this idea...
Last Friday, the Ohio Board of Building Standards posted a 434-page business impact analysis containing all of the comments submitted with regard to the proposed code change on classroom barricade devices. My comments to the board included a comparison of the recommendations made in the July 2015 OBBS Final Report vs. the proposed code language...
Every December I weed through my inbox so I can start fresh in the new year. I get A LOT of email...my inbox is currently down to only 525 emails waiting for some sort of action on my part. I just found an email that included a link to an article from NFPA Journal...
There is too much valuable information in this white paper for me to cut and paste small sections here - I'd recommend reading the complete document, but one paragraph did catch my eye...
What do you think about the idea of using a children's book, like this one from the ALICE Training Institute, to teach kids about preparing for a school shooting?
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...
One of the arguments made by supporters of classroom barricade devices is that many other states have already changed their codes to allow the devices to be used. While a few states do allow the devices, the vast majority of state codes have not changed...
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...
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...
If you're thinking that this post doesn't apply to you because you're not in Ohio, think again. Several states are becoming more proactive about this issue to try to avoid similar legislation...
In the October issue of Doors & Hardware, Lt. Hendry shares the law enforcement perspective on the use of classroom barricade devices, in an article called America's Maginot Line - Why our focus on secondary locking devices makes us more vulnerable to threats...
In the October issue of Doors & Hardware, I have an article on what took place in Ohio with regard to the state legislation on classroom barricade devices, and another article covering the myths and facts presented at the National Association of State Fire Marshals' annual conference (here's a video version of this information)...
According to Nathan Burkhardt of Opening Technologies, this church addressed their classroom security by adding shades for the vision lites, and changing the locks to office function with a turn-button. Because the kids and teachers were getting injured by the sharp turn-button design...
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...
Ideally a classroom door can be locked from within the classroom without opening the door and potential exposing the teacher to an intruder in the hallway. Many schools have existing classroom function locksets, which have to be locked by inserting a key in the outside cylinder. When a district doesn't have the funding to replace the locks...
What do you think? Is this the safest school in America?
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."
What do you think of this new Fixed-it Friday product idea? It looks like it would be a little pricey and I'm not sure how a whole class would fit inside, but I give him credit for the engineering. I could use one of these to hide from my kids. :)
Last month, along with a panel of experts, I presented the myths and facts about classroom barricade devices on behalf of the Door Security and Safety Foundation for the annual conference of the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM). I recorded my portion of the presentation so I could post the myths and facts here. Feel free to share the link with those considering the use of barricade devices, or any jurisdictions discussing the possibility of changing their codes.
This Fixed-it Friday photo illustrates the common problem of an access control system that has been modified for convenience. No matter how much time and money are invested in planning and installing a system, human intervention is always a factor...
If you have not watched this 2014 Dateline series on school shootings, it gives the perspective of survivors and describes their struggles in the months and years after the tragedies occurred. Very moving.
Articles touting the value of classroom barricade devices without any mention of the related safety issues are legitimizing the use of these devices that are not compliant with the model codes. An article in this month's Security Management magazine, a publication of ASIS International, covers the perceived security benefits of the devices used in the Mentor, Ohio school district...
Today I presented as part of a panel discussion at the annual conference of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, along with my fellow panelists: Larry Flowers - Ohio State Fire Marshal, Ed Paulk - Alabama State Fire Marshal, Kelly Nicolello of UL, and John Woestman of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. The panel was moderated by Jim Tidwell of Tidwell Code Consulting, and Jim Narva of NASFM kicked it off.
As many of you know, I have been closely watching the barricade device issue in Ohio. If you haven't been following along, here's the summary of what happened:
Here's the latest in our series of whiteboard animation videos explaining door-related topics. This one covers various options for securing classroom doors, in alignment with the guidelines from the National Association of State Fire Marshals. Enjoy and share!
(Note: If you're in the St. Louis area, there is a school security seminar coming up on July 22th, and there's still space if you want to attend.) Today's post: I haven't posted much about traditional wired glass lately, but the hazard continues to be present in existing schools and other facilities...
I read an interesting article in the Washington Post yesterday, about the statistics on school shootings. The Fact Checker column asks, "Has there been one school shooting per week since Sandy Hook?" and examines a statement made by Senator Chris Murphy during a speech on the Senate floor last week:
This report gives a very good overview of what we're up against in the mission to secure schools while maintaining life safety. If funding is not available, schools will come up with their own solutions. If those solutions are not code-compliant, legislators will override the codes. This will continue to happen until another tragedy occurs. I wonder how many tragedies it will take.
How do we help to ensure that these creative problem-solvers have the necessary information when considering a do-it-yourself approach?
You may remember a guest blog post from Lieutenant Joseph Hendry, who is with the Kent State University Police Department and the ALICE Training Institute. Lt. Hendry has an article in this month's Campus Safety Journal, on the challenges created by using barricade devices for classroom lockdown. Here's my favorite part...
If you live and/or work in Ohio, it is not too late to talk to the state legislators in your district(s). If you call their offices, you may be able to talk to them directly or get an email address. The Door Security and Safety Foundation has compiled some information that might be helpful to send along with your concerns...
As many of you know, on Fridays I usually post a photo of a creative way someone has solved a door problem, which is often non-code-compliant and unsafe. If you've arrived here today looking forward to this week's Fixed-it Friday photo, I apologize because I have to write about another type of "creative problem-solver" today.
MANY people have asked me about the potential for liability if a school chooses to secure their classroom doors using a barricade device that inhibits or deters egress. Could a school be held liable? I didn't know the answer, so we enlisted the help of an attorney to help us understand the considerations...
As many of you know, a public hearing with the Ohio Board of Building Standards was held last Friday. This hearing was part of an ongoing discussion about whether Ohio should allow barricade devices to be used to secure classroom doors. There was a previous hearing where invited speakers presented their views; on Friday the podium was open to anyone who had something to share with the Board. These hearings were prompted by the filing of bills in the Ohio House and Senate, summarized as:
As I have been preparing for tomorrow's public hearing in Ohio along with members of the door and hardware industry, code officials, and others interested in the classroom barricade issue, I came to a realization: some of the people involved in this debate are not familiar with how barricade devices work...
I could use your help with my testimony for the upcoming hearing. If you were sitting in the hot seat in front of the Board, what would you say??
Today's Fixed-it Friday photo came from Paul Cernak of Allegion. It's another creatively-ingenious lockdown method that is not code-compliant. The white block is attached to the frame with a magnet. The outside lever of the active leaf is kept in the locked position, and the block prevents the door from closing completely...
