| FOUNDATION RESEARCH & PROGRAMS |
• The Foundation and School Security - The Doors that Protect Us
• Foundation Sponsors Classes for Fire Door Inspection Initiative
• Foundation Coordinates Safety and Security Inspections for Head Start Centers
• Foundation Works with Government Offices and Associations to Promote Safety and Security
The Foundation for the Advancement of Life Safety and Security Scholarship Program provides funds for members to attend DHI courses. Since 1998, the Foundation has granted more than 70 scholarships! Read more...
The Foundation and School Security - The Doors that Protect Us
The Foundation will be conducting interviews with a limited number of schools, both K-12 and college campuses, to gather information from you, the school employee, on your perspective of the need for security and life safety modifications as it pertains to every door opening in your learning facility.
During the process of inspecting and maintaining existing facilities, or in the design of new schools, the life safety and security features that doors and locks provide tend to be overlooked as to the crucial role they can play. This results in designs which do not take advantage of simple life safety and security solutions; costly and unnecessary changes during the life of the building; and band-aid solutions which satisfy only an emotional response.
Every school uses doors and hardware, but few are designed to take FULL advantage of the immense role these products can play in creating safer environments for our children to learn.
From campus security personnel to members of Congress, we are all looking for ways to ensure safety in our nation's schools. The doors and associated hardware for every door opening can provide crucial safety and security features as a first line of defense — features that remain relatively inexpensive for the security solutions they provide.
The Foundation works closely with individuals responsible for writing over 95% of the specifications for every door opening in the country. With your input, we can continue to strengthen the security aspects of the learning environment for our children.
If you would like the Foundation for the Advancement of Life Safety and Security to consider your request to be part of this group, please contact William Johnson, Managing Director of the Foundation, at bjohnson@dhi.org or call 703-766-7039.
Foundation is Sponsoring Classes for Fire Door Inspection Initiative
The Fire-Rated Doors and Hardware – A Guide to Field Inspections course, a one-day course, is an opportunity for fire and code officials to learn about the updated NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, installation, operation, features, basic criteria and maintenance of fire-rated doors.
The updated standard now makes the inspection of fire-rated doors a yearly requirement.
"This is an important step in helping local officials understand what to look for when they are approving the installation and on-going maintenance of fire-rated doors," says Bert Polk, retired fire marshal from South Carolina.
The Foundation is working in coordination with the Door and Hardware Institute’s certified members to provide these classes at no cost to the attendees. The class itself is providing fire and code officials a better understanding of what to visually verify when they see that a fire-rated door has been inspected.
This class, designed specifically for fire and code officials, will continue to be taught at locations across the country. For further information on the class or if you have interest in sponsoring a session, please contact William Johnson at bjohnson@dhi.org.
Foundation Coordinating Safety and Security Inspections for Head Start Centers
The Foundation for the Advancement of Life Safety and Security, in cooperation with local agencies across the country, is sponsoring life safety and security inspections for Head Start Centers.
The inspections consist of walking through the centers determining what changes, if any, could be made to doors at the points-of-entry and to fire-rated doors.
In addition to performing these life safety and security inspections, the Foundation will be working with some of the most impacted centers to make the necessary upgrades.
The Foundation will be working with its supporters to replace some doors that have aged considerably through the years, provide for upgraded hardware and locks for the doors, and replace some gasketing around the door frame that would help contain smoke in the event of a fire.
The Foundation is actively engaged in the critical areas of fire safety, life safety and security and will continue to play an active role in helping organizations — such as Head Start — to make the necessary changes that will make these centers of learning a safe and secure place to be.
For further information on locations we are planning to visit, or if you have interest in supporting a center’s upgrade, please contact William Johnson at bjohnson@dhi.org.
Foundation Works with Government Offices and Associations to Promote Safety and Security
The Foundation is working with federal and state offices and associations to help support our mission of creating a safer built environment by informing interested parties the important role that the architectural openings (doors and their related hardware) industry plays in life safety and security.
The Foundation has provided information to numerous congressional offices, is working with offices on the state level, and has provided information to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Education, National Governors Association, National Association of State Fire Marshals, Institute for Building Technology and Safety, National PTA, Society of Fire Protections, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, American Insurance Association and the American Hotel and Lodging Association .
This is an ongoing effort to continue to educate and create awareness of the important life safety and security solutions that are being accomplished by individuals and organizations as it pertains to the architectural opening.
