Foundation News

See our 2020 Scholarship winners!

The Door Security & Safety Foundation Scholarship program provides funds for individuals to attend courses offered by DHI. See our 2020 winners here.

Continuing the conversation on Door Security & Safety

View this webinar from Safe and Sound Schools in partnership with the Door Security and Safety Foundation. 

NFPA 3000 (PS) Standard for Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Program

View this important webinar about NFPA 3000 (PS) Standard for Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response program presented by John Montes of NFPA and hosted by DSSF.

New President’s Message on Our History and Mission

In September's issue of Door Security + Safety, the Door Security & Safety Foundation introduced new President Jay Manzo, CPA, and discussed their history spanning over 20 years and shared their new strategic plan for raising awareness about their mission and message. Their three key strategic initiatives are focused upon school security, fire and egress door inspections in healthcare and advocating for the use of knowledgeable professionals such as door security + safety professionals. Here is a link to the article.

Building Awareness on School Security in Social Media

In May's issue of Door Security + Safety, the Door Security & Safety Foundation summarized its role in the national conversation on school security. Here is a link to the article. We have posted this on Twitter and Facebook and we encourage you to retweet and share to spread awareness on this critical issue and support the efforts of your Foundation. You can find more resources on this topic at www.lockdontblock.org.

DHI and Door Security & Safety Foundation Support STOP School Violence Act

Read the full press release here.

How Companies Can Make Our Schools Safer

Allegion CEO discusses how companies can make our schools safer. View interview with CNBC here.

More Important Than Ever

Looking back over 31 years of experience, DSSF CEO shares how the Foundation’s work is more important than ever before. Read the full article.

NFPA Staff Member Becomes an FDAI

In a recent article from NFPA, Ron Coté, P.E., FDAI, NFPA Technical Services Lead for Life Safety shared the importance of acquiring this level of knowledge and education to obtain his FDAI credential. You can read Ron Coté’s full article here and share this link with your customers and colleagues!

Radio Interview about Opening the Door to School Safety

Listen to our interview on EduTalk Radio, where DSSF and our guests explain to members of AASA – The School Superintendents Association the dangers of door barricade devices and how schools can secure their classrooms without compromising life safety. Citing data and a wealth of resources on our new microsite at www.lockdontblock.org. Guest include Jerry Heppes, Sr., CAE, CEO, Door Security & Safety Foundation; Guy Grace, Director of Security and Emergency Planning, Littleton Public Schools; Brian Geraci, MD State Fire Marshal, Board of Directors for National Association of State Fire Marshals; and Laura Frye, AHC, CSI, CCS, FDAI, Technical Director, Door Security & Safety Foundation.

Statement from Foundation CEO, Jerry Heppes Sr., CAE Changes to NFPA 101 Vetoed

Per our statement on May 30, 2017, we expressed great concern about proposed changes and an appeal regarding NFPA 101, The Life Safety Code®. This change/appeal would allow for “not more than two releasing operations” to release the door for egress, where just “one releasing operation” which has been mandated for nearly three decades for good reason.

Per NFPA’s statement dated August 31, 2017, “The Council has voted to deny the appeal”, which means NFPA 101, The Life Safety Code® will remain unchanged. We believe this is the right decision and we applaud the council for their foresight in this matter.

Opening the Door to School Safety

Our public relations campaign continues to raise awareness to school administrators about the importance of safely securing classroom doors with code compliant methods and pointing to the experts who balance life safety and security - door security and safety professionals. Visit our new website that’s dedicated to building awareness and advocacy with a growing library of resources and information. We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues and your communities. #LockDontBlock

www.lockdontblock.org

CMS Deadline Extended for Compliance of Inspection/Testing of Fire Doors

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulatory adoption of the NFPA 101, 2012 regulation was originally July 5, 2016 and the required annual door inspections and testing would be expected by July 6, 2017. However, considering the level of reported misunderstanding of this requirement, CMS has extended the compliance date for this requirement by six months. Full compliance with the annual fire door assembly inspection and testing in accordance with 2010 NFPA 80 is required by January 1, 2018. Read the announcement published by CMS.

We encourage all FDAIs to take advantage of this demand for fire door inspections with current and potential healthcare customers. To learn more about the Foundation’s Education Advocate program and how the Foundation can help FDAIs grow their business in healthcare, contact Sharon Newport at snewport@dhi.org.

Door Security & Safety Foundation Statement re: Changes to NFPA 101

Statement from Foundation CEO, Jerry Heppes Sr., CAE regarding changes to NFPA 101. Read Press Release here.

One Day Classes Offered in Conjunction with NFPA in 2017

For those desiring additional education the Foundation is offering one-day classes developed and delivered by the Door Security & Safety Foundation (DSSF) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) addressing the door types encountered along the egress paths within a healthcare facility, door locking means permitted and the 11 verification points required for the yearly inspection of swinging fire door assemblies.  Click here to learn more.

Fire Door Inspection Education and Awareness Events

The Door Security & Safety Foundation conducts events across North America to bring awareness and education about the critical requirements for fire door inspections. Review a list of events already scheduled or conducted. Learn more about our education and our awareness offerings, including our special focus on healthcare facility personnel.

Consider the Foundation Among Your Giving Opportunities

This year the Foundation has been busy building awareness and delivering education to healthcare facility managers, facility engineers, AHJs and code officials to help them understand fire door inspection regulations resulting from CMS adoption of the 2012 edition of NFPA 101®. We’ve grown our scholarship program supporting door security and safety professionals and we’re soon launching a public relations campaign to educate school administrators on school safety and security. We hope you will consider contributing here to support our efforts. If you are interested in learning more about our work or contributing at a high level, please contact Foundation CEO, Jerry Heppes, Sr., CAE, to learn more at jheppes@doorsecuritysafety.org.

The Foundation Testifies in Ohio Against Barricade Devices in Schools

The Foundation believes that barricade devices used on doors in a means of egress compromise life safety and should not be approved by any jurisdiction. This issue recently arose in Ohio with pending legislation to allow barricade devices in Ohio schools and a hearing was held by the Ohio Board of Building Standards. The Foundation provided the a packet of resources for their consideration as well as live testimony with the support of several industry partners including National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) and Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA). Click here to learn more.

The Door Security & Safety Foundation’s Public Position on Classroom Door Security

With the recent well-publicized and horrific shootings at our schools, there is a growing public concern for safety in schools. Naturally, numerous opinions have evolved on improving student safety from an active shooter situation. In addition, several retrofit devices intended to provide protection for students while in the classroom are becoming available.

Unfortunately, these products fall short of the code requirements.1 It is critical that these devices are vetted through the formal code process to ensure that the proper balance is met.

The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM; firemarshals.org) has published a white paper entitled Classroom Door Security and Locking Hardware to address its security concerns for several products being employed that unfortunately expose our students and faculty to unintended safety consequences. The document offers a School Security Suggested Classroom Door Checklist. This list identifies the critical parameters that need to be satisfied when designing a door system intended to increase security in the classroom. The Door Security and Safety Foundation endorses this document, as it is validated by specific codes and standards references.

To learn more about the Foundation’s position please read our recent white paper.

[1] “Barricade Device? Think Twice!” Lori Greene, AHC/CDC, FDAI, FDHI, CCPR. Doors & Hardware, May 2015.

Testimonials from Recent Events


It was awesome to receive the scholarship, and the class I attended was informative and immediately applicable to my job. I was able to immediately use the scholarship to attend the FDAI class in Canada, and I was reimbursed very quickly. Winning the scholarship opened the door to a quality education I would not have otherwise been able to pursue.
Mark Pinnow
Recipient of 2014 Colorado Doorways Scholarship, in memory of C.H. Johnson, DAHC


The scholarship was put toward earning my AHC. Earning the certification will make me more valuable in my current position and will also promote the necessity of having experts in the door openings industry.
Todd Gregory
Recipient of CECO Door Products Scholarship, ASSA ABLOY Group, in memory of J.A. Burbridge, AHC


Thank you for giving this class. It was something we really needed and a lot of information we did not know. I believed that everyone that attended learned something new. I know for me that being showed the proper way to look at the door brought many things to light and we were doing some if not most of our inspecting wrong or just didn't know what to look for. Once again thank you for the instructions and materials.
Andrew Ankney
Woodcrafter Supervisor
Veteran’s Administration Hospital
Hampton, VA


Thank you! We have received many positive comments regarding your contribution to our workshop last week. You opened a great many eyes on the importance of fire doors and the many issues that can deter from their function during fire conditions. One of our prime objectives of this course was to ensure the students gained some “hands-on” experience in this area. You provided this training well above our expectations.
 Gerald Moore, CET, CBCO, CRBO
Past Chair, Wellington Waterloo & District Chapter
Ontario Building Officials Association

I have been in the fire business most of my adult life and continue to learn more and more, and this class was particularly informative for me and is extremely applicable to my job here at Cleveland State. I look forward to more classes as they become available and will encourage my colleagues here of the benefits of hands on training like this.
Patrick V. Westropp
Fire Inspector
Cleveland State University