Exterior locking doors are the first line of defense against unauthorized intrusion in schools, but they also need to make exiting easy in case of other life-threatening events, such as fires. There are several strategies to make doors hard for intruders to gain access, and easy for students and teachers to get out.
Understanding Different Types of School Security Door Locks: Hardware for Exterior School Doors
Basic Door Locks for Schools
Because of their simplicity and cost-effectiveness, school doors often use basic door locking hardware, such as:
- Cylindrical locks – standard key-in-knob or lever locks.
- Mortise locks – more robust than standard locks and include a cartridge that fits inside the door.
These types of basic school door locks are prone to several security issues. They are susceptible to lock picking and bumping, and keys can be duplicated easily. They do not allow for quick or automated lockdowns in emergencies. Over time, physical wear can lead to mechanical failure.
Smart Locks: School Access Control Solution
Given the limitations of traditional door lock devices, many schools are moving toward smart lock access control systems that use digital technology to respond to a prompt to lock or unlock. Types of smart locks include:
- Electronic keypad locks require a PIN for access and can be programmed for different users.
- Card reader locks use key cards or fobs and can be used for controlled, monitored and logged entry.
- Magnetic locks are electromagnetic locks that can be timed for automatic locking and release with a power failure or emergency system override.
- Biometric locks use unique physical features to identify and permit authorized entrants.
When it comes to door security devices for schools, smart locks can significantly contribute to school and campus security by providing controlled access with real-time monitoring and audit trails. They also allow for remote management of access rights, and can be programmed to facilitate lockdowns.
Door Exits Matter Just as Much as Entrances
Exits are just as critical to a school security system as entrances. Consider emergencies, such as fires or other threats, where a quick and orderly egress of students and staff is necessary.
The National Fire Protection Association has several requirements governing the exit operation of exterior doors. Essentially, they must allow fast evacuation without special knowledge, tools or effort. In areas with 50 or more occupants, doors must have panic/crash bars to make them easy to open from the inside during an emergency.
Enhanced Measures to Improve the Security of Exterior School Doors
With the rise in school shootings and other security threats, many schools are going beyond the basic and required K-12 school security solutions. These measures must balance the need to protect students and staff from intruders while ensuring a safe evacuation in case of an internal threat.
Door Checking Systems
Consistently locked exterior doors are the simplest and most effective way to prevent an intruder, but this requires vigilance from administration and security staff. Investing in door checking technology makes it easy to create a door checking protocol and ensure that it’s followed all day, every day. Using door tags, mobile devices and a software platform, security staff and administrators can work together to keep all exterior doors locked.
It is important to build a culture of door safety so that everyone on campus knows never to prop a door open or allow a visitor into the building.
Rapid Lockdown Locks
Using a push button, lever or thumb turn, a rapid lockdown lock can secure a door from the inside when an external threat is present, without a key or the need to exit the room. To comply with fire safety codes, these locks must allow single-motion exit. Some systems allow these to be remotely activated by administrators or security personnel for instant, school-wide lockdowns. (These are not the same as a barricade device.)
Bullet-Resistant Features
To prevent an intruder from using a gun to penetrate an exterior door or door glass, there are bullet-resistant options and designs. Armored doors and reinforced glass both can greatly slow down an intruder and provide valuable time to get students and staff to safety and call for help.
Video Surveillance
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at entry points and exterior areas can provide early warning to security staff and administrators. During an active shooter situation, administrators can see immediately if any doors are breached and direct emergency response to the areas under threat. Giving law enforcement real-time access to these camera feeds can speed response by first responders.
Securing School Building Entrances
The National Association of School Resource Officers and the Department of Homeland Security recommend the following school safety solutions for building entrance security.
Establish a single main entrance for visitors.
Create one staffed entrance where visitors are welcomed, logged and directed before getting access to the rest of the building. This entrance should be monitored with a camera and require visitors to use a buzzer to announce their presence. Visitors should be required to present photo identification and receive a badge to communicate to others in the building that their presence has been logged.
The main entrance should include a double-door vestibule.
A vestibule is an area that allows entry into the building into a small area but prevents entry into the rest of the building until a visitor can be screened and logged. This provides an opportunity to keep a threatening individual from gaining entrance to the school.
Install panic buttons at the main entrance.
Staff posted at the main entrance should have access to a panic button that allows them to alert security in case of a threatening situation needing immediate attention.
Custodial and delivery entrances should remain locked and monitored.
These doors should be accessible only by authorized personnel, and the area should be monitored with security cameras. Door checking rounds should include these entrances to ensure they stay locked. All deliveries should be logged with detailed information. As with the main entrance, delivery entrances should be outfitted with panic buttons for use by staff who work in those areas.
Affordable Solutions for Securing School Exterior Doors
Generally speaking, most schools are already outfitted with exterior doors that can keep intruders out. The weak point with most school exterior doors is that sometimes they are not closed, latched or locked.
There are two simple and affordable best practices to ensure exterior doors are secure:
Training
Teachers, staff and students are trained to prevent building access, emphasizing the risks of unlocked or propped doors. Schools must consistently remind everyone in the building that all visitors must enter the school through its one main entrance to be certain that all visitors are screened and logged. Everyone also should be trained to never prop a door open – ever.
Door Checking Protocols
Door checking protocols should include basic hardware and software to make the practice consistent and easy for staff to implement. A system such as Life Check that uses NFC tags, mobile scanning devices and an administrative dashboard is a cost-effective way to ensure that all doors get locked and stay locked.
Take a proactive approach to exterior school door security.
Having the right exterior door security in place is critical to school safety. Reach out if you have questions about how a door checking system supported by Life Check technology can improve safety at your educational institution.