Each time a dangerous or violent incident occurs, school administrators, law enforcement, and politicians are put under pressure by parents and the public to solve the problem and protect our students. Rightfully so. Emotions run high and sometimes ignite polarizing debates about gun rights, school safety, and a host of other social issues.
Why focus on the classroom door?
As a school administrator, you are uniquely responsible to provide practical, code-compliant and time-tested solutions—without bias—for helping to protect schools from active shooter incidents. Rather than taking positions favoring one side or another in these debates, it makes sense to consider classroom safety and security solutions focused on securing door openings and on some significant facts:
Fire is statistically more than three times likely to happen than an active shooter situation in a school.
An active shooter has never breached a locked classroom door in any recorded school security incident.
A multi-layered approach to door security
Just as private colleges and universities need a multi-faceted, layered approach to school security, they also in a layered approach to door security. The classroom door is an obvious choice to focus on as the first and last line of defense. This means that any classroom door solution must deny access by addressing these three basic requirements:
No barricades. Eliminate the use of non-compliant door barricades and solutions that create greater risk than any security they provide.
Keep doors closed. No security or lockdown solution will work unless the door is closed. Eliminate the possibility that a door intended to be closed and locked can be intentionally or unintentionally entered.
Defend any door. Provide the flexibility in terms of budget and components for adapting to the specific needs of any classroom installation.
No Barricades—Why These Devices Are Prohibited
In several school shootings, the assailants barricaded doors and delayed law enforcement response—which may have increased the number of casualties. After the shootings at Virginia Tech, Platte Canyon High School, and the West Nickel Mines Amish Schoolhouse, emergency responders publicly discussed their difficulties in accessing the barricaded classrooms. Free exit (egress) must always be maintained.
Barricade solutions should be avoided because they:
Do not comply with accessibility regulations.
Do not comply with egress requirements in NFPA 101—Life Safety Code
Do not allow for access by first responders
Keep Doors Closed—Start with a Simple Door-Prop Alarm
No matter what kind of locks classroom doors are equipped with, if the door is propped open, students are vulnerable. Door-prop alarms are a basic yet fundamental element to provide the minimum level of lockdown security. They provide access control and ensure positive security behavior.
An even better solution is to consider adding electromagnetic door holder and releasing devices with door-prop alarms. Remember, an active shooter has never breached a locked classroom door in any recorded school security incident. Magnetic door holders are designed to hold doors open and release the door by remote switch or fire life safety command center activation in a lockdown emergency. This simple combination can be used in conjunction with a mechanical door closer to ensure the door is fully closed when magnetically released.
Defend Any Door—Assemble an Electrified Lockdown System Solution
After ensuring classroom doors are closed in an active shooter situation using door prop alarms and electromagnetic door releasing devices, incorporate electrified locks to lock down rooms immediately by way of an emergency lockdown button.
Your lockdown system should provide specifically designed classroom security locking functions that allow users to quickly lock the door from either side and meet code requirements for free egress, fire protection and accessibility. It should provide lock status notification and allow authorized access by staff and emergency responders in case someone inside the room intends to cause harm or injury.
Key Classroom Lockdown System Components
Depending on the door or doors, key components of your lockdown system may include:
Access control
Door closer
Door prop alarm
Door release
Emergency activation lockdown button
Locking device and egress control
Power supply
Power transfer
Remote control
Visual status
Select Component Examples
IP-Based Access Control
Solenoid Controlled Mortise Locksets
Emergency Lockdown Activation Switches
Wiegand Readers
Electrified Power Transfer Hinges
Multi-Mode Visual Annunciator
Depending on how these components have been applied, teachers and administrators can close and lock classroom doors to prevent unauthorized entry during an emergency. Depressing the lockdown button inside the classroom will activate the lockdown protocol: the emergency door release is activated, an alarm is sent to administration, and the door’s electrified lock will be locked from the outside upon closing.
An IP-based door controller can be added for lockdown in classrooms with more than one door. Up to 100 doors (or more) can be locked down with additional IP-based door controllers when integrated with a centrally located PC in administration.
From the outside, the multi-mode visual annunciators will signal the lockdown status of the door. Administrators or first responders can gain access by using a manual key or presenting a proximity card, key fob or tag to the IP-based reader to unlock the door. Free exit (egress) is always maintained.
Meeting Life Safety, Security and Code Compliance Guidelines
Regardless of the classroom door solution you provide—from a simple door prop alarm to a fully featured electrified lockdown system—there are several guidelines to consider:
Does it meet life safety and security guidelines? Any classroom lockdown solution should address these three classroom door locks guidelines to ensuring life safety and security.
Does it open from inside without prior knowledge and feature one lever-turn operation?
The door should be able to be locked and unlocked from the inside of a classroom without requiring the door to be opened, while still allowing staff entry in an emergency.
Locked automatically or features a simple locking mechanism such as a pushbutton, key, card, fob, fingerprint, etc., that can be locked from inside the classroom without having to open the door.
Does it address code compliance? Your classroom lockdown solution should meet the 2018 model codes including the International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC), and NFPA 101—The Life Safety Code. They require one operation to release the latch(es) on a door in a means of egress, with no tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and no key, tool, special knowledge, or effort. Lockable doors in educational occupancies must be capable of being unlocked from the outside with a key or other means approved by the building official.
Does it eliminate unintended consequences? By adhering to traditional code compliant solutions that provide a balance between classroom security and safety, your classroom lockdown solution does not rely on well-intentioned products—like barricades—that clearly violate life-safety standards. Although the motivation to use these products is to protect students and create a safe haven, they create a greater risk than any security they provide. If they are used to barricade a door, a bully or dangerous person could trap someone in a classroom and a teacher or first responder would not be able to enter. This is clearly an unintended consequence of their misapplication.
Does it eliminate liability issues? Your classroom lockdown solution should be designed to eliminate liability issues that non-code compliance solutions—like barricades—may create in relation to life safety. These solutions can be abused by students creating a nuisance when locking themselves inside a classroom. To gain admission may require excessive force that damages the door to disable the barricade or damages a window for alternate entry. The proper solution ensures substantial security, life safety code compliance, and provides electrified access control or manual key over-ride to resolve nuisance behavior.
Has the locking hardware been certified by the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA)? BHMA-ertified products offer safe and reliable solutions that they comply with all codes including ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act).
Finally, you should always consult the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for additional compliance requirements before implementing any classroom lockdown solution. The review of these recommendations is not a substitute for obtaining security advice from qualified security providers and other professionals.
