There are dueling mandates for school safety: keep intruders out and exits open in case of evacuation. Now that school shootings have become so much more frequent, there is a need to equip schools with the means to “lockdown” their buildings when faced with an active shooter.
Active shooter scenarios take only two minutes to wreak havoc on an entire school. According to the International Fire Code of 2015, in an emergency where there are four or more people and evacuation is not possible, a “lockdown” is required.
Whether that means locking down parts of your building so that no one can enter or exit or locking down your entire building, a full lockdown is practically impossible in many U.S. schools. State and federal guidelines recommend using heavy furniture to barricade doors.
The ANCHOR offers a fast and efficient lockdown and barricade system that uses remote and manual locking features. Once barricaded, the system can be released by emergency personnel once the situation is under control.
If you have no other choice, classroom furniture can be used to shield your students and barricade the doors from an active shooter in an emergency situation. However, moving heavy furniture around is loud and draws attention to your classroom which puts your students in more danger.
Then, when it is time to evacuate quickly, first responders are forced to waste valuable time trying to dig through piles of furniture to clear an exit. The ANCHOR is designed with rapid lockdown features so that your classrooms are secured quickly and just as importantly, quietly.
The ANCHOR is designed to be inserted into an anchor plate on your building and classroom doors. The ANCHOR itself can be removed and re-inserted. Once inserted, it is activated with a simple foot stomp, similar to bank tellers pushing a silent emergency button.
Instantly, doors lock and barricade you and your students inside of the building and classroom until you can be safely evacuated.
Your classroom safety in a school shooting depends on your ability to lockdown and evacuate quickly. According to international building and fire codes, a door lock cannot require more than one operation to open the door (unless it is a home or bedroom).
With the ANCHOR there are two operations required to deactivate the system once it has been activated; you must release the ANCHOR using your foot while opening the door with your hand. The system can also be deactivated from the outside by law enforcement or building management easily.
Still, the ANCHOR has been deemed “credible” by experts in the field of safety, law enforcement, and fire. Many buildings, schools, businesses, and churches use the ANCHOR from Anchorman, Inc. to secure their buildings. You can permanently install the anchor plate and maintain the integrity of your fire rated doors according to the 2012 International Building Code.
Most evacuation plans mandated by international and federal regulations require an action plan for lockdown scenarios. The DHS and FEMA are responsible for issuing guidance for plan compliance.
Granted, the ANCHOR may not allow for a one operation deactivation, but it does exceed state and federal recommendations for a total lockdown. We believe it is a much quicker and safer option than barricading classrooms with heavy furniture and makes evacuation easier.
For decades, schools have become the target of mass shootings and the threat is only getting worse. With assault weapons and handguns available without much oversight, the chances for an active shooter scenario are much higher today than even 20 years ago.
Once upon a time, school safety drills only included earthquakes and fires. Today, having an emergency plan in place for a violent intrusion during the school day is now a necessity. The ANCHOR puts the emphasis on saving time and creating a safe space during a lockdown situation.
The difference between life and death for your students could be as simple as making sure that the door to your classroom can be barricaded in enough time to keep a shooter out. The ANCHOR takes the guess work out of it and enables your entire school to lockdown in a matter of seconds. If you want to learn more about the ANCHOR from Anchorman, Inc. for your school, simply contact us at Furniture Family.
