Safety Spotlight - Active Crisis Response

The Value of Keeping Classroom Doors Locked as a Daily School Safety Ritual

School safety is a paramount concern in today’s educational environment, where the threat of violence, including active shooters, demands proactive measures. One crucial daily ritual for crime and violence prevention is ensuring that classroom doors remain locked during the school day. This practice is widely recognized as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the risk of an active shooter gaining access to students and staff, potentially saving lives.

Research and real-world incidents underscore the effectiveness of locked doors but also highlight the importance of additional strategies, such as barricading, in creating safer learning spaces when an active crisis event occurs.

Historical Context: Locked Doors in School Shootings

Locked classroom doors have repeatedly proven to be a barrier that deters or delays attackers, providing valuable time for law enforcement to respond. Several high-profile incidents demonstrate the lifesaving value of locked doors.

• Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012): During the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a teacher, Kaitlin Roig, locked her classroom door and hid her students in a bathroom. The shooter attempted to enter but was unsuccessful due to the locked door. This act of quick thinking saved the lives of everyone in that classroom, as the shooter moved on without being able to access the room.

• Virginia Tech (2007): In the tragic Virginia Tech massacre, several professors and students took proactive measures to lock and barricade their classroom doors. In one notable instance, Professor Liviu Librescu blocked the door to his classroom, allowing students to escape through the windows while he held the door shut. Although he was ultimately killed, his actions prevented the shooter from entering the room and further victimizing his students.

• Stoneman Douglas High School (2018): During the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, some classrooms were locked, and the shooter was unable to access them. However, other doors were left unlocked, allowing the shooter to enter and kill several students. This tragic incident underscores the importance of consistently locking doors and keeping them both closed and locked as part of daily routines.

The Importance of Locking Classroom Doors Daily

Keeping classroom doors locked throughout the day is not just a lockdown protocol but a preventative measure that can mitigate crime and violence. The practice is part of the new standard of care recognized in school safety protocols nationwide. Locked doors create a first line of defense against not only active shooters but also other potential threats, including unauthorized individuals attempting to enter the classroom. By making this a routine part of school life, educators help create an environment where both students and staff feel more secure.

Cases Where Unlocked Doors Led to Tragic Consequences

The failure to lock doors has, unfortunately, contributed to unnecessary loss of life in several school shootings:

• Robb Elementary School (2022): During the devastating shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a classroom door that was not properly secured allowed the shooter to gain entry, resulting in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers. This tragedy has sparked nationwide discussions about door security and the need for rigorous daily practices to ensure all doors are closed and locked and that there are no lock-blocks or simular devises to allow the door to swing open freely.

• Santa Fe High School (2018): In the Santa Fe High School shooting, the gunman was able to enter several classrooms through unlocked doors, leading to the deaths of 10 people. The ease with which he accessed the rooms highlighted the critical need for locked doors as part of any comprehensive school safety strategy.

During An Active Shooter Situation, Locked Doors Alone Are Not Enough: The Role of Barricading

While locked doors are an essential element of school safety, they are not foolproof. Attackers have, in some cases, breached locked doors either through force or by exploiting weaknesses in the locking mechanisms. For example, in the Columbine High School massacre (1999), the shooters used explosives and gunfire to breach doors. More recently, reports from the Uvalde tragedy indicated that the shooter gained access through a malfunctioning lock, or a door that had a lock-block, further emphasizing the importance of regular maintenance and checks of locking systems.

To address this vulnerability, experts recommend reinforcing lockdown procedures by teaching students and staff how to barricade doors. This additional layer of security not only enhances the physical protection of the classroom but also empowers individuals to take an active role in their own safety.

Barricading can involve using desks, chairs, or other available materials to create obstacles that delay or prevent entry, buying time for law enforcement to arrive and stop the threat.

Best Practices and the New Standard of Care

Nationwide, the practice of locking doors has been adopted as a best practice in school safety, integrated into daily routines as part of the broader mission to protect students and staff. This practice aligns with guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and other safety organizations, which emphasize that access control measures, such as locked doors, are a critical element of active shooter mitigation strategies.

In addition to physical security measures, regular drills, and training sessions help ensure that teachers, students, and staff know how to respond in an emergency, including the steps for properly locking and barricading doors.

Schools must also maintain their locking mechanisms and ensure they are operational at all times, conducting regular safety audits to identify and address any vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Locking classroom doors as a daily safety ritual is a simple yet effective crime and violence prevention measure that has been proven to save lives during active shooter incidents. However, relying solely on locked doors during an active shooter situation is insufficient. Barricading and other enhanced lockdown procedures are crucial to creating a multi-layered defense strategy that empowers individuals and increases the chances of survival.

As part of the evolving standard of care, keeping classroom doors locked should be ingrained in the culture of every school, offering peace of mind and a first line of defense in protecting our educational environments from harm.

About the Author:

Michael C. Kimball is a seasoned expert with over 30 years of experience as a sworn law enforcement officer in California. He co-developed the Monterey Peninsula Regional S.W.A.T. team, where he served as both Tactical and Logistics Commander. He co-authored one of California’s first Active Shooter Protocols in the early 1990s. 1989, Michael founded his company, which evolved into M.C. Kimball and Associates, Inc. Michael is a nationally certified instructor in options-based training for active killer mitigation, he has conducted nationwide training with Homeland Security since 2010. His program, "We’ve Got Your Back?," launched in 2021, focuses on trauma-informed, inclusive safety training for schools, ensuring a team approach to school safety.

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