After-Market Door Devices Can Risk Fire Safety

SCHOOL LAW ADVISORY
Volume 30, No. 3

The school shooting tragedies in Parkland, Florida, and elsewhere have all schools redoubling planning efforts around school safety. In particular, many schools are rethinking classroom safety and door security in the event of a lockdown. The Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, for example, recommended that all classroom doors be lockable from the inside without stepping out into a hallway. Unsurprisingly, vendors have been marketing a variety of “after-market” door devices designed to stop intruders or to make lockdowns simple for teachers or other staff.

Two types of “after-market” devices are door barricades and “lockdown magnets.” Though well intentioned for lockdowns, each may unintentionally raise countervailing concerns related to fire safety. School units are strongly encouraged to work closely with…To continue reading, visit https://schoollaw.com/school-law-advisory.

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