Are Barricade Devices Appropriate for K-12 Classroom Doors?

As threats against classrooms grow seemingly every year, it’s natural to want the easiest and quickest solutions available to secure classroom doors and protect students and staff. And with so many hardware and locking solutions available on the market, it can be difficult to wade through the many options and identify the most effective solution that will meet the life safety, convenience, and security needs of your classroom doors.

Fortunately, organizations like the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) have put together comprehensive guidelines to help school systems and security providers select the most appropriate hardware solutions for each classroom door and their unique needs.

Are barricade devices one of those solutions? The short answer is no.

Unfortunately, barricade devices are being marketed to K-12 schools as an easy aftermarket solution to provide classroom security, even though most security experts advise against these devices for three key reasons.

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Why should you avoid barricade devices on classroom doors?

1. Barricade devices do not meet national life safety codes and PASS K-12 guidelines.

PASS and federal agencies argue that while investing classroom security is essential, hardware solutions and technology should never compromise safety standards or accessibility. Minimally, all classrooms must be able to be easily locked from the inside as a basic protection for occupants in the event of an emergency – many barricade devices lack an easy locking system and do not meet national life safety codes.

2. Barricade devices are not ADA-compliant

Safety and accessibility laws in the U.S. are based on decades of rigorous standards for many types of high-occupancy facilities, including K-12 schools. Barricade devices don’t meet these standards or undergo comparable testing, making them unreliable and non-compliant.

3. Barricade devices can trap occupants and prevent first responders from entering.

One of the key features of effective classroom door solutions is that they are accessible by authorized personnel. In emergencies, barricades can block first responders from entering classrooms quickly. Their presence in classrooms poses a risk of misuse and could even hinder the response to active shooter events.

Choose classroom security locks that ensure safe and effective lockdown capabilities for students and staff

Rather than barricade devices, PASS endorses three types of mechanical locksets to secure your classroom doors: those with office, storeroom, or security classroom functions, as well as electronic locks that have equivalent features where no secondary locking device is needed.

PASS also emphasizes that in addition to being easily lockable from inside the classroom, effective K-12 classroom locks should provide keyed or electronic access from the corridor or hallway side by authorized personnel, provide free single motion egress from inside the room, and have a high-visibility visual indicator that notes whether the classroom is locked or unlocked.

Ideally, those locks would not prevent a significant investment compared to installing new doors for school systems that are subject to strict budgets – so they should be installed easily on doors with standard cylindrical or mortise preps and not require special layouts. Existing locksets can often be upgraded at a similar cost to barricade devices, providing a code-compliant and reliable solution without the risks associated with barricade devices.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, all K-12 classroom door security solutions should empower any classroom occupant – staff, teacher, or student – to lock down the classroom from the inside quickly and easily.

Looking for code-compliant classroom security solutions? Look no further than our durable, high-security classroom locks. Or, check out our 8200 Series mortise indicator lock brochure here.

Interested in learning more about how to protect classroom occupants with code-compliant door hardware in the event of an emergency? Contact our team of experts today to get started.