Last week I wrote about a fire in a Queens apartment building, where an open door allowed a fire to spread. FDNY shared a video that shows some of the interior of the building after the fire that left more than 200 people homeless.
I like to think that I'm pretty even-tempered...I don't get mad very often (and when I do - RUN). But every time I see an apartment fire where the door was left open as the apartment residents escaped, I feel even more frustrated and angry.
In my opinion, removing the fire door assembly inspection requirements through a state modification of the model codes is detrimental to the safety of building occupants. What do you think?
Eighteen years ago this week, I sat stunned as I watched the news reports on the fire that had occurred the night before in the nearby city of West Warwick, Rhode Island. 100 fatalities, more than 200 injured...
I saw this video posted on the BANG Forcible Entry Facebook page and I thought of y'all. I'm sure you'll quickly spot the problem with this training video on how to defeat a door with panic hardware. :D
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?
You may already know all about this topic, but I guarantee you have some friends and family members who do not. Share this message to help keep them safe.
Someone asked me recently why distributors are still ordering swinging fire doors with a neutral pressure fire rating. I don't know the answer to that...do you?
The Steel Door Institute (SDI) just released a new video that covers the annual inspection requirements for fire door assemblies. Feel free to share it!
Do you remember back in July when I shared crazy Wordless Wednesday photos of how a flash flood affected some doors? Well, here's a WW video of a similar incident!
I have been asked so many times - hundreds - whether it's ok to lock a door in the direction of egress, and unlock it only in an emergency...the answer is almost always "NO!"
Hand sanitizer is not normally within my area of expertise, but I've been receiving questions about it so I checked to see what NFPA had to say.
It must have been around 30 years ago when my boss sent me to a seminar held at a local hotel - the topic was a new federal law called the Americans With Disabilities Act.
On top of the threat of fires and active shooters, crowds themselves can be deadly. New technology for crowd monitoring is the topic of this episode of Learn Something New™ by NFPA Journal.
Most of you know how important this message is to me: Close Before You Doze. Check out this video from the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department.
One of the side-effects of staying at home is that we're not out-and-about to run across Wordless Wednesday and Fixed-it Friday applications. Can you help save my streaks?
Covid-19 has inspired new "inventions" to help people avoid touching door hardware with their hands, to limit the spread of the virus. How can the hardware industry help?
Next up in NFPA's series of short videos...Are 3D-printed buildings safe and code-compliant? What do you think? Would you live in a 3D-printed house?
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.
Yesterday, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro spoke with Bill Ritter on the show Up Close about recent fires that occurred in NYC, where open doors had a negative impact on safety.
This documentary should be required viewing - not just for those of us who are involved in codes, but for anyone who enters buildings (that means everyone).
This video was made by Von Duprin in the 1940's...I'm very proud that I can continue to share the importance of life safety and free egress!
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.
We're kicking off Schlage's 100th anniversary with a new video that provides a fascinating look (really!) into the history of Walter Schlage and the Schlage Lock Company - check it out!
This week marks 77 years since the fire at the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub in Boston, and the fire is the topic of this month's Learn Something New video from NFPA.
If a door or frame has a label indicating that is is fire rated, is the assembly required to be maintained and inspected as required by NFPA 80 and NFPA 101? A proposed code change offers a clarification.
What will the future of exit signs look like? Do they need an upgrade using new technology?
I know that many of us notice funky hardware applications on TV and in movies...here's one that we can actually learn a few things from.
Have you ever wished for a short video that gives an overview of fire door assemblies? The Steel Door Institute (SDI) recently released a 2-minute video that covers the basics.
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.
This presentation - WN@TL - School Safety in America: Rhetoric vs Reality - David Perrodin - is well worth a listen. It supports the concerns about classroom barricade devices and school security decision-making.
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?
Wilson County Schools: “We don’t use barricaded door hardware,” Wilson County Director of Safety Steve Spencer said. “The reason is...
This post links to valuable information from NFPA about life safety requirements for escape rooms and other special amusement buildings, along with proposed code changes.
Much of the work to replace deficient fire doors in London residential blocks has not been completed, so one man decided to take matters into his own hands to prove a point. Don't do this.
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.
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.
Media outlets have reported that locked electronic doors hindered law enforcement response in the recent Virginia Beach shooting. Authorized access should be addressed in each facility's emergency plan.
Warning: Today's Wordless Wednesday post is not wordless. Check out the video and scroll down for the words.
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.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this news story from ABC 15 in Arizona, about the fire and safety concerns associated with installing padlocks on prison cell doors.
I thought everyone in the world of hardware had already seen this video, but last night I ran across someone who hadn't, so here it is. I do feel bad for Alex, but LOCKS ROCK!
UL's Firefighter Safety Research Institute has created a number of videos to help dispel some of the myths about closed doors. Here are a few of my favorites...
I've posted several photos and videos showing what happens when a bedroom door is kept closed during a fire. Check out this demonstration with the bedroom door open.
Fifty people died in the shootings at the two mosques in Christchurch. How many could have survived if the egress door had allowed immediate evacuation?
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.
This week marks the anniversary of a tragic fire that heavily impacted life safety codes and requirements for worker safety. It's important to understand these tragedies, to avoid repeating them.
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.
As long as there are still people who haven't heard this message, I'm going to keep sharing it.
