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They had a lot of other protocols and trainings that helped a lot as well.. The classroom doors at Robb Elementary could not be locked from the inside. This lock is used in trade/workspaces, such as Operations and Maintenance rooms. services. The boy, with tears in his eyes, nodded and said, Yes, maam.. Many teachers and parents have pushed hard to equip their classrooms with such devices. 0000015879 00000 n Subscribe for the latest on PASS school safety and security initiatives. The most comprehensive information available on best practices specifically for securing school facilities, vetted extensively by experts across the education, public safety and industry sectors. (The school district did not respond to questions about its security measures and oversight of its facilities.) The push for larger seats has been ongoing for years as airlines have sought to pack as many passengers on planes as possible. [t A(((v@d= * `u :@l 0000013360 00000 n Many school buildings feature unsafe interior windows where a wall would provide more security. Fax: 888-950-8798 0000003105 00000 n After Texas dedicated $100 million for school security grants in 2019, the Uvalde school district was awarded about $69,000 to upgrade its security systems, a third of which it planned to spend on perimeter fencing for a single campus, according to the state Education Department. It is unclear, however, whether the locks themselves were regularly inspected. This lecture hall style lock is placed on doors with a push bar. Choosing the right equipment is not always easy, and requiresinput from many different stakeholders. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw demonstrated to state lawmakers how an interior door from Robb Elementary School failed to securely lock. Efforts to expand the requirement to all existing schools ran aground after objections over the high price tag and the logistical difficulties of retrofitting older buildings. A lot of times they can overlook the simplicity of a door lock.. This fall, she plans to teach atone of the schools where Robb students will be relocated, in part because she knows that the kids are also struggling with what happened, and she wants to be there for them. Some of these same buildings include exterior windows that dont open, locking students into a classroom in a situation where they should climb out. 0000011310 00000 n Classroom doors should not have any windows, and the doors should be able to be locked from inside and outside, she recalled telling the committee. All rights reserved. Theres no question we have to have that discussion, he said. You know, we can take part of the credit. Admissions Admissions at UMB are managed by individual schools. 0000002046 00000 n In 2020, Michigan passed a law allowing schools to install temporary locks or devices in classrooms in the event of a school shooting. Unfortunately, some products are being offered to K-12 schools in lieu of, or in addition to, proper classroom locks, based on the misconception that barricading the door is the only way to protect students and teachers in the classroom, and allegedly lower cost; however, most K-12 security experts and school safety organizations including the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) oppose the use of barricade devices, also known as door blockers or secondary locking devices, for five critical reasons: Unfortunately, despite the risks More than a month after the Uvalde shooting, the teacher cant stop thinking of the sound of the gunshots, the childrens screams from across the hall and the panicked look her student gave her when she asked for his help making sure the door was locked. In some of Americas biggest cities, there are a growing number of schools with a shrinking number of students. In addition, fire and police authorities must work with school officials to find lockdown and security solutions that do not create new problems or make the problems they are designed to stop worse. However, these quick fix barricade devices also exhibit security concerns. Bergant pointed out that these devices do more than block fire evacuation. After the massacre in which the shooters were only able to access classrooms that were unlocked schools across the United States began installing specialized classroom security locks, sometimes referred to as Columbine locks. The number of options for securing classroom doors speaks to the fact that a quick and easy solution that doesnt cost a lot of money simply doesnt exist. As noted, the PASS Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools recommend that all classrooms be equipped, at a minimum, with mechanical locks appropriate for the K-12 setting, and this should be accompanied by a policy that classroom doors should remain closed and locked when occupied. Think about how many hundreds of thousands of schools there are in the United States and in each one, you have maybe 200 doors, she said. This would allow school officials searching for security to find their codeinformation in one place. Despite leaving many safety and security professionals unhappy, the new laws settled the issue in Ohio. 0000008425 00000 n The cost may be higher for leaving classrooms exposed, he said. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is excited to share itsnew online giving page. %%EOF In 2015, a group of Ohio parents in the Southwest Licking School district raised $30,000 to outfit their school doors with lockdown devices. With enhanced searchability, a streamlined checkout process, and new ways to give such as Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay in addition to credit card, donors can support UMB quickly and securely. 0000008964 00000 n Its always on the door. Even worse, some can either impede the police and other first responders from being able to help or be used by criminals to assist them in causing mayhem. sales@safe-latch.com. should consider the rooms normal occupants and intended use, a facility In other states, recent proposals to require interior-locking classroom doors have largely fallen flat. startxref The lock includes instructions so you know which way to turn the latch to ensure the door is locked. In an emergency, the last thing you need is for someone to have to look for or fumble with unfamiliar tools or products. 0000003249 00000 n Approved by fire marshals in over 160 schools in 17 states. Through making informed hardware and design decisions, providing proper safety training for staff and students on security precautions and equipment, and creatingsafety codes that provide as much security as possible in all situations, school districts and the security industry can work together to create the safest school environment possible. Therefore, most classroom levers are designed to lock people out from the outside when needed. There is kind of a mythology that locks are going to solve all the problems, he said. Figure A. PASS urges school officials to consider only safe and proven options recommended for securing classrooms in the event of an emergency. As the NFPA safety code stands now, classroom levers must always open from the inside without a key. Jim Martin, who leads the boards facilities committee, said that he received about a dozen emails from residents asking for the locks to be changed on classroom doors after the Uvalde shooting; hes also received dozens of marketing emails from companies that sell classroom door locks, he said. But teachers were already required to keep their doors closed and locked at Robb Elementary. 0000017522 00000 n Does the solution make sure that a criminal cannot lock him or herself into a classroom? 0000005516 00000 n This is a standard door lock, which sits above the door handle. Leaders and analysts react to news of Ayman al-Zawahiris assassination. 0000004783 00000 n It was a problem at least one teacher had previously flagged to the school, but which was not fixed, McCraw said. 788 48 Taylor said he hopes other school districts across the country will follow in Oxfords footsteps when it comes to active shooter prevention. The bipartisan gun control bill that President Joe Biden signed into law last month includes $100 million that schools can use for safety infrastructure improvements. Among the array of missteps and errors that allowed the Uvalde shooting to result in so many deaths including a delayed police response that let the siege drag on for more than an hour the schools doors have emerged as a major security flaw. These levers lock and unlock from the outside with the use of a key. However, it is important that officialsmake changes through a careful process, not as a knee-jerk reaction. 0000001281 00000 n hb``d``Ke`c`y B@Q;n00y;`(bmpU9s`M.KY New details released after co-pilot falls from plane in North Carolina, Ground beef prices surge as farmers sell off cattle herds, Experts react to Ayman al-Zawahiris death, Chicago woman dead after documenting divorce on TikTok, Britney Spears posts texts from mental health facility, Are airplane seats too small? Sara Diggins / USA Today Network via Imagn file. The 16-member panel of experts madeseveral recommendations regarding public safety in schools. 0000012048 00000 n However, it is important that officialsmake changes through a careful process, not as a knee-jerk reaction. Lieutenant Henry points out that poor design decisions cause many security issues. The Robb Elementary teacher and her colleagues had been instructed to keep their classroom doors closed and locked at all times, using keys that they were required to carry with them, she said. Proposing a classroom security solution involves weighing many different factors, such as: In this latest blog post, we will look at a case study that illustrates the function of door barricades, as well as their pros and cons. In addition, there are multiple viewpoints on what the best way to handle an active shooter is so one must navigate through products designed to meet different objectives. How do we ensure thesolutions implemented dont produce unintended consequences such as fire hazards? The locks are mounted to the bottom of a door, so they are not in the reach of intruders. IMPORTANT: View our official statement on the Robb Elementary School Shooting. The safety feature is missing in much of Texas: 36% of the states schools said they did not have interior-locking doors in the majority of their classrooms, according to a 2018 survey commissioned by Gov. But this time it wasnt a drill, and she was terrified. Doors that can be quickly and easily locked can mean the difference between life and death when a shooter is on school grounds. But it didnt make it to the floor for a vote. But there is a broad consensus among experts and school safety advocates that this is a simple and effective measure that some school districts have left by the wayside even as theyve spent millions on new security. Code officialsdo recognize the need to make sure codes help schools stay as safe as possible. 0000004154 00000 n Those funds will only go so far, however. My head exploded when I found out the only way they could check the lock is by checking from the outside, said Bettencourt, a member of the Texas Senate committee investigating the shooting. Before school shootings became a concern, the standard lock that many classrooms utilized was called a classroom function lever. When seconds count, we are faster than any key. 2021-2022 University of Maryland, Baltimore. Instead of giving the money to all these security companies, why not use it to change the locks on the doors? said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the leading labor union for educators. Such locks allow teachers to secure their classrooms with a key from either side of the door. Their policy is when you go into lockdown, dont come out, you know, for anything, he said. For these and similar code violations, the Board told the fundraisers in the Southwest Licking School District that they could not install these devices. In this photo, the latch would be turned counter-clockwise to lock the door and would be turned clockwise to unlock the door. The best barricade on the market is not a barricade at all. Steve Starr / Corbis via Getty Images file. guidelines and life safety codes as well as commercially available products and The Uvalde school massacre has sparked renewed calls for interior-locking doors. Chardon High School had a shooting in 2012 that left three students deadand another three injured during his tenure. A very interesting legal battle followed, with both industry and school speakers presenting their sides of the argument. With the backing of industry lobbyists, federal lawmakers have poured funding into school security upgrades. Outdated locks are especially common in older school buildings that havent been renovated, industry representatives said. This is similar to a standard door lock and can be operated by turning the latch towards the door frame to lock the door (in this photo, the latch would be turned to the left/counter-clockwise). Neither of the schools had interior-locking classroom doors. 0000005798 00000 n These locks provide safe locations to shelter-in-place. That'sa vulnerability school safety experts have been warning about for decades. 0 For more details, see the PASS white paper on barricade devices. (See Figure B.) Finally, high-quality, code-compliant lock hardware designed for classroom security generally costs much more than the quick fix barricade devices. No special education or tools ever needed. If schools cant afford to change their locks, Lavarello said, they should require classroom doors to be locked at all times and conduct checks to make sure the rule is being followed. While restricting access to firearms is still their top priority, the groups said that interior locks are critical to deterring shooters who make it into a school. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has installed door locks across campus as added protection in the unlikely event of an active assailant on campus. Took a deep breath. But the only mention of door locks in the publicly posted plan was the districts requirement that teachers keep their classroom doors closed and locked at all times without describing the steps they might have to take to do so. Code officialsdo recognize the need to make sure codes help schools stay as safe as possible. In most locations, however, schools must still choose security equipment that meets local safety codes. Never obstructs the ability to exit safely. In news coverage surrounding the issue, Bergant pointed out that an intruder could do more damage with the means to lock students in the room and authorities out. Once she was inside, the teacher said, there was no way to confirm whether the exterior handle was locked. Tried, tested and approved, Safe-Latch is helping thousands of school districts keep student, teachers and staff safe every day right now. universally agree that it is essential The facts simply do not support the use of barricade devices. Teachers and students are trained to use the lock in the event of an emergency. The Commission cannot emphasize enough the importance of this recommendation. Thousands of schools across U.S. lack doors that can be locked from inside, Police could have stopped Uvalde school shooter, new report says. More casualties have emerged as another round of rainstorms hit flooded Kentucky mountain communities Monday. Thats less invasive than virtually any other kind of security measure, Weingarten said. 0000004669 00000 n 0000101135 00000 n Lock down classrooms instantly and safely. TeacherLock is designed as aspecialized lockfor use in lockdown emergencies. She wants to be able to tell her students that theyre safe, and to really mean it even if that requires installing a lock herself. 788 0 obj <> endobj The White House decried Beijings rhetoric Monday and said it has no interest in increasing tensions with China. For example, an intruder should not be able to tell if students are inside a classroom from the hallway. The company is called LifeLock. CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) Parents in Oxford, Michigan are giving thanks to one Michigan-based security company for protecting their kids lives following last weeks high school shooting that left four students dead. There has never been an event in which an active shooter breached a locked classroom door, a safety commission convened after the Newtown massacre pointed out in 2015, recommending the security measure. All versions of TeacherLock are UL10B, UL10C, NFPA252, and CAN/ULC S104 Listed and Labeled. Why was the Michigan high school shooting suspect sent back to class? Without speaking, the student followed her to the classroom door. You know, it takes a lot of work to get things done. IE 11 is not supported. 0000007130 00000 n A summary of some of the basic requirements are as follows: Many of the quick fix barricade devices violated one or more of theserequirements. Then, her student pulled the door open, just as theyd practiced. But Bettencourt did not specify what, if anything, the state should do to ensure that classrooms had interior-locking doors in place, or whether the government should provide additional funding for such upgrades.