Classroom Window Film safety has become a hot topic in recent years due to increased cases of mass shootings. As such, there has been a concern on the role that school doors play in keeping student safe. While most institutions have resorted to the installation of door barricade devices, security experts say that there are better ways to deter attackers, especially in institutions fitted with glass doors.
School safety is a matter of concern for all players in the education sector. In a country where mass shootings in schools, churches, and other social places are at an all-time high, legislations have been put in place to curb such disastrous acts. Particularly, lawmakers have been working on making schools safer for the students.
Doors and locks should be code compliant. They should meet the requirements as per the International Building Code, National Fire Protection Association Life Safety guidelines, and the American with Disabilities Act regulations. In recent years, better devices for school doors have been implemented as a response to the tragic incidents of mass shootings that occur from time to time.
Schools have fast adopted safer glass doors and locks to prevent shooters from entering classrooms. Given the rising numbers of tragic incidents, various deterrent devices and locks serve as school shooting stoppers as they keep such attackers out of the class. This, in turn, helps to buy time for police and medical officers to arrive on the scene.
While barricades have raised several life-safety concerns, glass doors and sidelights have presented a better shot at keeping students safe in school. Unlike the traditional door lock devices, glass doors are now fitted with locking devices that adhere to the stipulated code requirements.
Here are some of the major concerns that govern doors and locks in schools:
According to the International Building Code (IBC), free egress means that anyone exiting a room or building may do so without obstruction or delay. Various levels of egress, including delayed and controlled egress, may be used in healthcare facilities and in cases where there is a need for human or device evaluation.
School doors and locks are supposed to be code-compliant, and barricades are not. The use of these door locking devices has therefore evoked mixed reactions, given their effectiveness and violation of safety codes all at once. Glass doors for schools could also be great for deterring attackers, especially when reinforced.
Much to their defense, statistics show that no attacker or shooter has ever gone beyond such barricaded doors. It is for this reason that schools in Ohio and other states have favored the installation of better glass and security screens for school doors. The use of code-compliant door locking devices has also proven to be effective at keeping students safe from shooters and intruders.
Opponents of barricade use in school doors have raised serious issues over the safety of students, especially in the event of an evacuation. Since barricades are fitted on both inward and outward-opening doors, there may be a need for intervention by staff to open a classroom door in the case of an evacuation. In such cases, students may remain “trapped” in classrooms, which may leave them vulnerable to other safety threats.
Another concern that arises from the use of door barricade for schools is accessibility. It’s a concern that keeps students with special needs in mind. While door locking devices should meet the standards put in place for accessibility, a school door barricade makes it almost impossible for students with special needs to access corridors in case of a lockdown.
Installation of a classroom door lockdown device such as a barricade not only curtails the accessibility of students to the outside or safer areas but also delays the entry of officials who arrive to offer help. Locking devices such as active shooter door wedges may also be effective at keeping out attackers but may also be detrimental to the accessibility of the students to safer areas in the case of an attack.
Most of the improvised active shooter door stops, such as barricades, severely violate the existing building codes, accessibility requirements, and safety recommendations. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all door hardware in schools and other public buildings should meet the following requirements:
Apart from shooting incidents, fires are also known to cause a considerable risk to students whenever they occur. As such, the decision to barricade classroom doors has seen substantive criticism considering the threat posed in the event of a fire incident. So, do these locking devices violate the fire and safety codes? Yes, they do! According to the National Fire Protection Association, most of the auxiliary door locking devices implemented in most schools violate the fire and life safety codes.
According to the fire and safety codes, classroom doors must allow:
NFPA also has requirements for secondary security and lock devices put in place, especially those that are installed in educational institutions. For the safety of students during shooting or fire incidences, barricading and retrofitted locking devices must meet the following requirements:
Concerning the NFPA regulations, a general rule of thumb that applies is that an auxiliary school door security device cannot obstruct or block free egress along a fire exit. As such, students must be able to evacuate safely in emergencies. Similarly, first responders to such situations must also gain easy access for the protection and care of students.