A concise chart of options can help institutions choose the best course of action. By Vernon Kelley, CFDI, CFL, CMIL, CPL, ICML, IFDI, LSFDI paid to make the tough decisions there. In two of my previous articles in Keynotes (“Classroom Barricade Devices, Life D Safety Codes and the Devil’s Advocate” in January 2016 and “Classroom Security: What Will Really Work” in April 2016), I discussed classroom security locking meth- ods at length to weigh the pros and cons of some available options. Coincidentally, I was heavily involved in the same decision-making process with my employer. It was a rather laborious process, to say the least, but I did get a couple of articles out of the process for your reading pleasure! I was involved in dozens of meetings — and probably 10 times as many emails — reviewing critical incident/active shooter classroom security options with manage- ment. The conversations got to the point they just became one big circular discussion with no end in sight. Paralysis through analysis. Finally, the epiphany! What if I created one concise list of the security options that we had discussed interminably? As much as I really liked reviewing, re-reviewing, and then re-re-reviewing the same security options endlessly (not), it was becoming somewhat mind-numbing. Perhaps a menu of security possibilities would help those not in the security business wrap their minds around the subject. And now, for your careful consideration, I present to you the “Methods of Locking” decision grid (see Figure 1). As you can see, the grid lists the locking method, a short de- scription of its operation and some pros and cons. It’s not meant to drill down on every possible nuance of each method. My audience was mainly people not involved in security, so I was looking to create something easy to read. The nuances were my responsibility. When I created this grid, I only included security options that the institution was considering at the time. You may think of one or two other security methods that aren’t listed. The discussions at your facility will probably meander in a few different directions than the conversations I was involved in. But, it just got to the point where 40 KEYNOTES SEPTEMBER 2019 ecisions, decisions, decisions. Depending on the situation, the decision- making process can be delightful (should I get the sirloin or the porterhouse?), or it can be a decision that will affect the security of thousands of people and cost around $250,000. I’d rather make my decisions at the steakhouse, but I generally don’t get I felt I needed to distill the available op- tions for consumption by the masses. No one complained. Perhaps you’re having similar conver- sation with K-12 schools or higher edu- cation facilities. Please feel free to use “The Grid” for your classroom security debate endeavors. Believe me, the boss- es will thank you. If you’d like a copy of The Grid, please visit http://bit.ly/ MethodsofLocking. And, sometimes, there is really no deci- sion to make. It’s always the porterhouse! Vernon Kelley, CFDI, CFL, CPL, CMIL, ICML, IFDI, LSFDI, has been involved in the locksmith and security industry since 1989 and is a licensed locksmith in the state of New Jersey. A noted instructor and editor, he’s co-author of the book “Institu- tional Lock Shop Management.” Vernon has served on the ALOA board of directors, and he is currently the first trustee of ALOA In- stitutional Locksmiths and director for the ALOA Scholarship Foundation. A recipient of the prestigious Lee Rognon Award, as well as the Robert Gress Award, Vernon is the Supervisor of Access Control at The College of New Jersey. WWW.ALOA.ORG
