Sometimes government bureaucracy helps others it hinders. Case in point is the following article about a district on Ohio. What happened? Concerned parents wanted to make their schools safer to help protect against the unthinkable, an active shooter situation.
Article HERE
After having received training from the county sheriff’s office and fire district about active shooters, and following FBI and Homeland Security guidelines about utilizing barricades to thwart active shooters, the parents raised private funds to procure $30,000 worth of door barricades. This would outfit each classroom with a device that the teacher could use to barricade the students in the room to protect them. This cost the school district nothing, as all monies for it was raised by the parents in the community through donations and corporate help.
The school board loves it. The police endorse it. The fire department endorses it. All should be great, right? Wrong. The local building code department says these temporary barricades violate Ohio building code. Sometimes government cannot get out of its own way.
This is not to criticize the people at the building code enforcement agency, they are doing what tax payers want them to do which is enforce building code. The critique is that in an environment when threats are changing and adapting, protection can be hampered by law. Is many states emergency action plans are going to be required by law. These plans will absolutely require the ability to barricade doors when necessary. It does not require much imagination to see how it will be possible to have one law that says you must do one thing, while having a code or law on the books stating that that specific action is outlawed.
Know what your local or state requirements and/or objections are to your emergency plan? We do.
Invictus Consulting constantly deals with these type of implementation situations and can guide you through the process. Contact us for assistance.
Article HERE
After having received training from the county sheriff’s office and fire district about active shooters, and following FBI and Homeland Security guidelines about utilizing barricades to thwart active shooters, the parents raised private funds to procure $30,000 worth of door barricades. This would outfit each classroom with a device that the teacher could use to barricade the students in the room to protect them. This cost the school district nothing, as all monies for it was raised by the parents in the community through donations and corporate help.
The school board loves it. The police endorse it. The fire department endorses it. All should be great, right? Wrong. The local building code department says these temporary barricades violate Ohio building code. Sometimes government cannot get out of its own way.
This is not to criticize the people at the building code enforcement agency, they are doing what tax payers want them to do which is enforce building code. The critique is that in an environment when threats are changing and adapting, protection can be hampered by law. Is many states emergency action plans are going to be required by law. These plans will absolutely require the ability to barricade doors when necessary. It does not require much imagination to see how it will be possible to have one law that says you must do one thing, while having a code or law on the books stating that that specific action is outlawed.
Know what your local or state requirements and/or objections are to your emergency plan? We do.
Invictus Consulting constantly deals with these type of implementation situations and can guide you through the process. Contact us for assistance.
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