Ohio standards board opposes school barricade devices

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s building standards board took a strong position today against the installation of barricade devices on classroom doors in the event of an active shooter, just weeks after a law went into effect allowing the devices.

Many of the barricades require specialized skills to install and then several steps to remove from a door to allow people to leave a room, according to a report by the board begun before the law took effect.

Because of the hand motions required to install them, and because they are sometimes placed on the floor, the devices also violate federal disability laws and can’t be used by many people, including people with disabilities, and young, old or short people, the board concluded.

The devices could also prevent emergency responders from quickly getting inside a room, the report said, and many aren’t visible from a hallway once in place.

“This condition would be especially difficult for mutual aid first responders who may not be familiar with the use of a particular device or a device different from that used in their home community,” the report said.

Despite the report’s conclusions, the board will begin a new process to adopt rules consistent with the change in law, board spokesman Michael Duchesne said.