Part of University Safety and Security Upgrade Initiative
Most of the time, it’s easy to forget that we live in a scary world, until a little of that scariness happens nearby. The unfortunate murder of Professor Thomas Meixner on campus in October 2022 was one such reminder. Since then, there has been a focused effort to make campus safer for everyone.
One part of that effort included installation of locks on classroom doors across the university. The locks are intended for use in an emergency, when it becomes necessary for occupants to “shelter-in-place” in a secure space. They are designed to allow an occupant to quickly lock the door from the inside without a key to prevent a malicious intruder from entering the room.
Though they prevent entry into the room, the locks are constructed and installed in accordance with Fire Codes and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) access regulations to not hinder exit from the room in an emergency. Five different styles of locks were installed to accommodate various door configurations and situations.
There are more than 825 classrooms on campus and at other UA facilities (including Phoenix Medical Campus, Oro Valley Vet Med School, Sierra Vista Campus, Yuma Farms, and two leased classroom locations in Chandler and Gilbert). FM committed to installing the locks before start-of-classes in Fall 2023.
Installations began in February 2023 after funding was secured in January 2023. The Lock Shop modified their work schedule to include evenings and weekends, times when classrooms were not in use. The project required close coordination with Room and Course Scheduling and building users to prevent conflicts and still complete the installations on time.
On average, it took two Locksmiths about 2-3 hours to complete an installation and test it. Installation included posting signs produced by the Sign Shop on how to use the locks. Some locks require power, so the Electric Shop assisted as needed, and the Carpenter Shop and Paint Shop became involved where wall penetrations were required. Custodians ensured that the sites were cleaned after installation. AmerX, FM’s keyless access contractor, was involved when centralized lock-down capability was requested.
In addition to classroom locks, other safety and security measures were undertaken during the same period. More than 200 additional duress buttons were installed to allow public-facing staff to inconspicuously request emergency assistance. More than 1,600 emergency-procedure signs were produced by the Sign Shop, 1400 of which were mounted on plastic panels from several hundred repurposed sneeze shields recycled after the COVID-19 pandemic. The signs were posted in classrooms and other occupied areas and feature instructions for responding to various emergency situations.
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