This article from the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) shares the experience of Lauren Reese, a survivor of the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School. Visit passk12.org to download the PASS Guidelines and other valuable resources.
Last week I spent an afternoon touring a hospital under renovation after a large electrical fire (more to come on that), and I saw this modification that left me wordless. What do you think?
It's hard to believe that it has been 6 YEARS since I last updated this post on zombie-resistant door openings, and 9 YEARS sine I wrote the original version. With the new model codes coming out soon it's time for another update, and what better day to post it than on Halloween??
In my current column in USGlass Magazine, I answered a question about a common application for aluminum storefront doors: Are paddle latches (AKA push paddles) a code-compliant option for the main entrance of a business occupancy?
As most of you know, the codes require egress doors to be operable without special knowledge or effort. This door is on a something like a bus that moves people around the airport (except with "normal" doors), but what are these exit instructions trying to say?
As I mentioned last week, there were not a lot of doors to see during our trip to Tanzania, unless you count tent flaps. The exception was Stone Town in Zanzibar, where the beautiful old doors are absolutely amazing. Enjoy!
While traveling to and from Tanzania and Zanzibar, we visited 8 airports in 5 countries, and saw a few interesting airport applications. Check them out and let me know what you think!
When an attempted school shooting is resolved without violence, there is much that we can learn by studying the incident. In the fifth episode of Paul Timm's podcast, he talks with Molly Hudgens about her experience at Sycamore Middle School.
As I'm reviewing and updating these Decoded articles, I can't believe that some of them were originally written more than 12 years ago. Hopefully they will continue to be a valuable resource for another 12 years and beyond!
On Wednesday I shared some photos from the island of Zanzibar, which is where I took today's Fixed-it Friday photos as well. This "fix" is a creative way to keep the door closed, and I like the composition of the photo too. :D
To mark America's Safe Schools Week, today's post includes some resources that have been developed by Allegion to help ensure that our security solutions align with the highest standards and effectively address the evolving challenges faced by educational institutions.
I have been planning a family trip to Tanzania for a couple of years, and the departure date finally arrived a few weeks ago. In addition to the safari (amazing!), we visited the island of Zanzibar, where I took today's Wordless Wednesday photos.
Next week I will be back in my old stomping ground to do some training on recent and upcoming changes to the I-Codes, NFPA Codes, and referenced standards related to swinging door openings. It's not too late to register!
Questions about door closers on classroom doors have been coming up frequently, so I have updated this Decoded article to reflect the current code requirements. What are you seeing in the field? Closers, or no closers?
This padlock and hasp have been added to the only exit serving a seating area for an indoor soccer facility. Thank you to Marc Bates of the University of Missouri - Kansas City for the photos, even though they made me cry a little.
I recently saw this Throwback Thursday photo and coincidentally, I had just looked at the requirements for panic hardware in the 1927 edition of the NFPA Building Exits Code. The word "PUSH" on this hardware rang a bell...
I have shared my concerns about classroom barricade devices dozens of times, but today's Wordless Wednesday photos from Mark Berger of Securitech have inspired me to review the issues once again.
Yesterday I shared an updated Decoded article on clear opening width and height, and this Quick Question was raised: Does the projection of a surface-mounted strike for rim panic hardware affect the clear width of a door opening?
This Decoded article on clear opening requirements was first published almost 10 years ago, and remains a frequently visited post on iDigHardware. It has now been updated with current code references.
Qasim Mousa from Allegion's office in Saudi Arabia, sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo, taken at a new school. This is a great example of how so-called "value engineering" can negatively impact a project.
Automatic sliding doors have become very common in health care facilities and other types of buildings. In this post, I have answered some of the frequently asked code questions about these doors, with links to additional resources.
I received today's Wordless Wednesday photo from Jake O'Keefe of Allegion, who was helping the locksmith for a large hospital with a problem at one of their exterior doors. The door was "stuck", but on the bright side, the problem was pretty easy to diagnose.
Today's Quick Question is one that comes up frequently with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs): When fail secure electrified hardware is installed on an exit door, how is egress accomplished during a power failure?
Because of some changes made in the 2024 editions of the I-Codes, I have updated this Decoded article addressing when to use fail secure vs. fail safe electrified hardware.
Shannon Tracey of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo from a project where she wrote the hardware specification. I can't even imagine how this happened or why someone thought it was a good idea. The good news is, it has since been fixed.
Although there is a section in the I-Codes dedicated to automatic doors, this section does not address the hardware used for security and egress. Locks for automatic sliding doors are covered in other sections of the model codes.
Allegion's Inside Sales Team received these photos and the authorization to share them. This Schlage BE Series deadbolt was installed on a home that was destroyed by a wildfire in San Antonio, Texas. The lock survived. #wordless!
Join us on October 4th for an AIA-approved webinar on sliding doors, presented by Tysen Gannon, West Region Business Development Manager, Allegion.
We're currently searching for the next cohort for our Sales Development and Specification Writer Apprentice Programs. Do you know someone who is graduating from college in May of 2024? Check out today's post for more information.
Lee Frazier of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos of doors found in a school. Luckily, this is not a fire door assembly. Maybe my retirement gig will be in door forensics...I have so many questions. :D
I will be teaching two classes during the DHI conNextions conference next month in Boston, and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces there! The classes are both code updates, but the focus is slightly different. Which one will you register for?
I received today's Wordless Wednesday photos from a retired AHJ - this is a 22,000 square foot sports facility used for batting practice and baseball training. What do you think of the "emergency exits"?
Last week I started a series of posts looking at the code requirements related to automatic sliding doors, and while I was reading up on the topic, I noticed something interesting in both the I-Codes and the NFPA codes.
In my current column in USGlass Magazine, I addressed the topic of security vestibules in schools. Consider this question: What should be avoided when designing, specifying hardware or updating features in secured entry vestibules?
I'm wondering why these doors swing toward the soccer field, but it's hard to know the egress route without a floor plan. Regardless, someone has solved the problem of unauthorized access to the stands with today's non-code-compliant Fixed-it Friday modification.
Today's Quick Question: Under what circumstances does an automatic sliding door require the break out / break away feature, allowing the sliding door to swing in the direction of egress during an emergency?
Given the situations I see while traveling internationally, I could probably create Wordless Wednesday posts until the end of time. The important thing to note is how fortunate we are to have strong codes and good enforcement in the U.S.
One of the security challenges that schools are currently facing involves false reports made to emergency services. In the fourth episode of Paul Timm's podcast - The Changing Face of School Security, he talks with Jin Kim about this topic.
My next Decoded article looks at some of the exceptions where doors serving assembly spaces are NOT required to have panic hardware. Did I miss any? Leave a comment and let me know!
Krystina Regan of Allegion sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photos, taken at the local nail salon. Although I do have an appreciation for clear instructional signage, the hex wrench replacement for the thumbturn and the added surface bolt are a no for me.
If you are responsible for inspecting fire door assemblies or keeping them code-compliant, you already know that one of the most common challenges is related to perimeter clearance. Do you have a few minutes to share your insight?
My kids all participated in drama club at school and I was a behind-the-scenes helper, so I have witnessed firsthand the creativity of that crowd. What do you think of this exit, which serves the backstage area in a high school theater? OK, or NO WAY?
I'm continuing to revise my Decoded articles to maintain them as an up-to-date resource for the industry...familiarity with use groups and occupancy classifications is crucial to understanding and applying the codes.
As many of you know, my oldest daughter recently graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. When I attended one of her graduation events, I noticed an interesting application that I'm sharing in today's Fixed-it Friday post.
My current monthly column in USGlass Magazine answers this question: On pairs of doors, are inactive leaves that are not required for egress allowed to have manual flush bolts? Do you know the answer?
Once a door and hardware professional starts looking at the hardware as they pass through a door opening, that habit is difficult (or impossible?) to break. I received today's Wordless Wednesday from my retired Allegion coworker, Chris Clark.
A few weeks ago I shared a handy tool from TGP - the online product SpeciFIRE. Today I'm posting another resource on glazing, which addresses the labels that are required for glass in fire door and fire window assemblies.
In my quest to ensure that my library of Decoded articles continues to be valuable as current reference information, I have updated this article on an important requirement of the I-Codes. Have you heard of the Duck Test?
For my Fixed-it Friday posts, I typically share photos of creative modifications - often applications that are not code-compliant. But I also like to share product changes that solve a problem. In today's post, a retrofit kit for the Schlage AD993.
Today's Quick Question about stairwell reentry has come up several times in recent weeks: Is it acceptable by code to install fail safe electrified locks on interior stairway doors in a 5- or 6-story building?
