Comments on: Locked Doors and Lockdowns: Police Officer’s Response to Active Shooters http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/ Police Training and Officer Safety Tips Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:40:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JP http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-5778 JP Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:27:00 +0000 http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-5778 Fire is statistically (and realistically) a greater risk (mass casualty) to the occupants than are active shooters. Exit doors and door locks must meet fire protection/life safety code requirements for means of egress from the room / structure. Most of these code and life safety requirements are the result of tragedies that caused the deaths or serious injuries of many people. The State Fire Marshal is the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) / approving authority for exit doors and associated locks. Governing requirements are in State and local fire codes, and the latest edition of the NFPA (Fire) 101B Code for Means of Egress for Buildings and Structures. For example, exit doors shall swing in the direction of exit travel when serving: assembly areas, relatively large occupant loads (e.g., 50 or more), or hazardous area (e.g., school laboratory). The AHJ might approve the use of double acting (swinging) doors as an alternative to outward opening doors. Exit doors shall be openable from the direction of exit travel without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort whenever the building is occupied. Its probably wise to avoid the use of chains and padlocks as a means to secure exit doors of unoccupied buildings, as their easy availability would be useful to an active shooter. Fire is statistically (and realistically) a greater risk (mass casualty) to the occupants than are active shooters. Exit doors and door locks must meet fire protection/life safety code requirements for means of egress from the room / structure. Most of these code and life safety requirements are the result of tragedies that caused the deaths or serious injuries of many people.

The State Fire Marshal is the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) / approving authority for exit doors and associated locks. Governing requirements are in State and local fire codes, and the latest edition of the NFPA (Fire) 101B Code for Means of Egress for Buildings and Structures. For example, exit doors shall swing in the direction of exit travel when serving: assembly areas, relatively large occupant loads (e.g., 50 or more), or hazardous area (e.g., school laboratory). The AHJ might approve the use of double acting (swinging) doors as an alternative to outward opening doors. Exit doors shall be openable from the direction of exit travel without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort whenever the building is occupied. Its probably wise to avoid the use of chains and padlocks as a means to secure exit doors of unoccupied buildings, as their easy availability would be useful to an active shooter.

]]> By: lane crawley http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-3787 lane crawley Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:50:02 +0000 http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-3787 The cops need to have master keys or slide cards to enable them to enter any doors that may be locked. The cops need to have master keys or slide cards to enable them to enter any doors that may be locked.

]]> By: Officer Mohamad http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-585 Officer Mohamad Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:39:06 +0000 http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-585 Interesting. I train for such incidents. Very interesting points. I will share with my Active Shooter Response Team. Thank u Interesting. I train for such incidents.
Very interesting points. I will share with my Active Shooter Response Team. Thank u

]]> By: Collegecop WA http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-387 Collegecop WA Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:32:23 +0000 http://www.bluesheepdog.com/2007/11/12/locked-doors-and-lockdowns-police-officers-response-to-active-shooters/#comment-387 You make some great points about school lockdowns and officer response. We have a problem on our campus that is very hazardous to the officers involved in the search for an active shooter – the vast majority of the classroom doors open outward. This is an extremely dangerous situation for us in it both gives notice to the bad guy who may be hiding inside the room that the police have arrived, and it puts us at a momentary tactical disadvantage. Unfortunately we can not convince the administrators of the campus to change things. Money is the basic issue; replacing all of those doors is going to be expensive and they are worried who will pay for it. Plus, despite all of the active shooting incidents in the country in the last decade or two, they cling to the outdated and very dangerous “something like that will never happen here” philosophy. This despite a tabletop exercise last summer that showed off a lot of areas where we were unprepared for an active shooter, not just the one with the doors. We did so badly on the exercise the campus president ended the discussion with “I guess we will save the ones we can and those we can’t will have to fend for themselves". Not a very encouraging statement for someone who is supposed to be making her students a top priority. You make some great points about school lockdowns and officer response. We have a problem on our campus that is very hazardous to the officers involved in the search for an active shooter – the vast majority of the classroom doors open outward. This is an extremely dangerous situation for us in it both gives notice to the bad guy who may be hiding inside the room that the police have arrived, and it puts us at a momentary tactical disadvantage.

Unfortunately we can not convince the administrators of the campus to change things. Money is the basic issue; replacing all of those doors is going to be expensive and they are worried who will pay for it. Plus, despite all of the active shooting incidents in the country in the last decade or two, they cling to the outdated and very dangerous “something like that will never happen here” philosophy. This despite a tabletop exercise last summer that showed off a lot of areas where we were unprepared for an active shooter, not just the one with the doors. We did so badly on the exercise the campus president ended the discussion with “I guess we will save the ones we can and those we can’t will have to fend for themselves”. Not a very encouraging statement for someone who is supposed to be making her students a top priority.

]]>