Classroom Door Locks Project

This is an electronically controlled locking system that you will see installed in larger classrooms and instructional spaces across campus. It consists of a wall-mounted blue module with a red button in the center that has the word “PUSH” printed on it. The module is protected from accidental activations by a clear cover with the word “Lockdown” printed on it.

Lifting the clear cover and pushing the red button will immediately and simultaneously lock all doors to the space in which you are located. Nobody will be able to enter the space except the Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS). Each red button in the space will now glow red and will continue to glow red as long as the doors are locked.

You (or anybody else) will still be able to exit the space as you normally would. The doors will remain locked, so if a person chooses to leave, the door will be locked behind them once it closes again.

Pushing the red button also immediately sends a signal to the DPSS Dispatch Center informing them that someone has activated the classroom locks in the space. This signal will prompt a dispatcher to send an officer (or officers) to your location to investigate.

• If you, or anyone, believes that there is an immediate threat to their safety outside of the classroom. For example, if you suspect there is a person with a gun outside the classroom
• If DPSS has issued an emergency alert indicating that you should do so.
• If there is any other situation whereby locking the doors to the space would result in the occupants of the space being made safer.

Once the system is activated, if you need to speak with DPSS and it is safe to do so, call 911, text DPSS at 911 or contact DPSS via the Public Safety app. Consider the latter options if you are in a situation where you do not wish to be heard outside of the space you are in.

Once the danger is determined to have passed (e.g. by responding DPSS officers or via an “all clear” emergency alert update), you may simply exit the space. DPSS Dispatch will remotely reset the classroom locking system and the doors will return to their pre-programmed status.

This is a traditional thumb-turn, manually activated lock similar to what you may see in use all across campus and even possibly in your home. It is accompanied by a semi-circular arrow indicator that says either “locked” or “unlocked”.

Turning the thumb-turn toward the “locked” position means that the door is locked and will prevent anyone from entering through that door. If there is a second door in the space in which you are located, you must also lock that door with its thumb-turn to ensure that nobody except DPSS is able to enter the space. An example photo is below.

Occupants will still be able to exit the space as they normally would. In the case of a thumb-turn lock, the door may unlock when a person exits, so if a person chooses to leave and others remain in the space, the thumb-turn should be locked again once the door closes, to ensure that it remains locked..

• If you, or anyone, believes that there is an immediate threat to their safety outside of the classroom. For example, if you suspect there is a person with a gun outside the classroom.
• If DPSS has issued an emergency alert indicating that you should do so.
• If there is any other situation whereby locking the doors to the space would result in the occupants of the space being made safer.

Once the doors are locked, if you need emergency assistance for any reason, call 911, text DPSS at 911 or contact DPSS via the Public Safety app. Consider the latter options if you are in a situation where you do not wish to be heard outside of the space you are in.

Once the danger is determined to have passed (e.g. by responding DPSS officers or via an “all clear” emergency alert update), you may simply exit the space and the locks will be restored to their normal function.