01.02.2023

DHI School Safety Assessment

DHI Assessment

Safety and security in schools is paramount. And the need for added security measures has come to the forefront in recent years. On July 12, 2022, NBC News published an article highlighting a basic security feature that is lacking in more than a quarter of all schools across the country – classroom doors that can be locked from the inside.

The Door and Hardware Institute (DHI) and the Door Security and Safety Foundation (DSSF) issued a joint statement on July 26. An excerpt is below.

We, at the Door and Hardware Institute (DHI), an association serving more than 5,000 door security and safety professionals in the non-residential construction industry, and the Door Security & Safety Foundation (DSSF), who advocate on behalf of these knowledgeable experts, strongly affirm that no one should ever have to step in harm’s way to ensure the safety of others or the security of a door. We know that classroom door locks that are lockable by key from inside the room are a critical line of defense in an active shooter or lockdown situation, and that the experts we serve can make the difference when it comes to a possible life and death situation.

According to a 2015 report by the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, doors that lock from the inside are most effective in securing classrooms, and to date, no active shooter has breached a locked classroom door. The report supports DHI’s recommendation that schools should elect to install door hardware that is code compliant and industry-tested.

DHI has also released a simple-to-follow assessment to ensure that your classroom doors are safe in the event of a lockdown situation or active shooter scenario.

Follow these 3 easy steps to see if your classroom door locks meet these recommendations:

  1. Opens from inside the room without requiring tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and accomplished with one operation.
  2. Locked and unlocked from the inside of a classroom without requiring the door to be opened, while still allowing staff entry in an emergency.
  3. Locked automatically or have 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.

In many cases, the first instinct is to block the door in a lockdown, but if that lockdown turns into an evacuation scenario, you may lose precious time trying to remove the blockade.

DH Pace is a leader in school safety measures. DH Pace offers service to educational customers across the country through our network of more than 50 offices. DH Pace specializes not just in doors, but in safety, for students, staff, and guests. Through both physical and electronic access control at the exterior openings and interior doors and locks at the classroom level, DH Pace has everything a school needs to ensure safety and security is met while also meeting all codes for fire, life safety and accessibility compliance.

Contact DH Pace today to see how we can help secure your facility.