Door Opening Industry Training Group, Inc.

🎓 Every experienced professional has that one lesson they wish they had learned earlier.

Maybe it was understanding hardware schedules.

Maybe it was reading specifications.

Maybe it was learning how to coordinate openings before problems show up in the field.

What's one thing you wish someone had taught you during your first year in the industry?

Share your answer below. 👇

🔍 Would this opening pass inspection?

Most people immediately look at the closer.

Experienced inspectors look everywhere.

👉The door
👉The frame
👉The hardware
👉The clearances
👉The labels
👉The attachments

Sometimes the smallest detail becomes the biggest finding.

What's the first thing you look at when approaching a fire door?

🚪🔥 Defend-in-place starts with maintaining the fire door assembly.

In healthcare occupancies, it's common to see bags, supplies, paperwork, and equipment temporarily hung on doors. While it may seem convenient, fire doors are designed to serve a very specific purpose: helping compartmentalize fire and smoke to protect patients, staff, and visitors.

The examples shown below highlight a common condition found in healthcare facilities—combustible items and equipment attached to fire door assemblies.

Why is this important?

✔ Fire doors are part of a building's passive fire protection system.
✔ They are tested and listed as assemblies to perform during a fire event.
✔ Their ability to protect occupants depends on proper installation, maintenance, and operation.

Using a fire door as a storage location can introduce additional fuel, create wear and damage to the assembly, and raise questions about whether the opening will perform as intended when needed most.

In healthcare occupancies, where defend-in-place strategies rely on effective compartmentation, maintaining fire doors as designed is an important part of protecting occupants and supporting life safety.

Sometimes the best fire door maintenance practice is also the simplest: let the fire door be a fire door.

🏫 Is Your School Ready for Ohio's Annual Door Inspection Requirements?

Ohio's Childhood Safety Act (SB112) established requirements related to protective door assemblies in school buildings, including annual inspections, documentation, maintenance, and corrective action responsibilities.

Many school administrators, facility directors, maintenance teams, and safety professionals are asking:

✔ Which doors are subject to inspection requirements?

✔ What documentation is required?

✔ How do NFPA 101 and NFPA 80 apply?

✔ What steps should schools take to establish and maintain compliance?

To help answer these questions, DOIT is launching a NEW educational program for 2026:

🔹 Ohio School Opening Safety & Compliance Workshop
📅 October 27, 2026
📍 Hamilton, Ohio

This 6-hour interactive workshop will provide practical guidance related to:
• Ohio SB112 requirements
• Protective door assembly identification
• Inspection and documentation expectations
• Common deficiencies and corrective actions
• Compliance planning and maintenance strategies

Attendees will also be invited to participate in our Product Solution Showcase featuring manufacturers and industry experts demonstrating solutions that support school safety, compliance, inspection programs, and protective door assemblies.

Registration Options:
• Individual Registration – $249
• School Team Package (Up to 3 Attendees) – $599
• District Team Package (Up to 5 Attendees) – $899

Learn more and register:
https://www.educate-doit.com/event-6701534

🎉 Congratulations to Jeremiah Ruddock on earning his Certified Locksmith Technician (CLT) credential!

Today marks the culmination of hard work, hands-on training, and a commitment to professional growth. Jeremiah successfully completed DOIT's Locksmith Training Program – Beginners and Advanced courses before passing the CLT Certification Exam.

When reflecting on his training experience, Jeremiah shared:

"The verbal as well as hands on demonstrations were extremely helpful. Also being able to go back and practice was great."

We're proud to recognize Jeremiah's dedication to advancing his skills and knowledge in the locksmith profession. Achievements like this strengthen our industry and demonstrate the value of investing in education and training.

We're proud of the hard work and dedication he put into completing his training and certification, and we're excited to have him continue growing as part of the Security Lock & Key family. Great job, Jeremiah! 👏🔑

Please join us in congratulating Jeremiah on this well-earned accomplishment! 👏🔑

🚪 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭?

The answer seems simple: never.

But emergency egress isn't just about having a door and an illuminated EXIT sign. It's about ensuring occupants can readily recognize and immediately use the means of egress when an emergency occurs.

In this retail environment, a rolling ladder has been positioned directly in front of an exit door.

While the ladder may be movable, means of egress components must be maintained free of obstructions that could impede their use. During an emergency, occupants shouldn't have to stop and determine whether an object can be moved before reaching safety.

This image is a good reminder that life safety extends beyond the door itself. It includes the entire path leading to the exit.

When evaluating exits, ask yourself:
✔️ Is the exit clearly visible?
✔️ Is the path to the exit unobstructed?
✔️ Could an unfamiliar occupant immediately identify and use it?
✔️ Have day-to-day operations introduced conditions that could delay evacuation?

An exit only serves its purpose when occupants can use it immediately.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤?

Would you consider a movable rolling ladder positioned in front of an exit door to be an obstruction to the means of egress, or is this acceptable because the ladder can be moved?

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 35 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐬?

Sometimes, that there's still more to learn.

Recently, DOIT conducted Installation & Maintenance Training for the team at LCRA. One student's feedback reminded us why education matters—not just for those new to the industry, but for experienced professionals as well.

After 35 years in maintenance, David Cantwell shared that the training helped him view his facilities through an entirely new lens, recognizing opportunities to improve safety, compliance, and maintenance practices that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

One statement stood out:

"𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥; 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬."

That's exactly the mindset that helps create safer facilities, protect assets, and improve outcomes for everyone who occupies the buildings we maintain.

Thank you to David for sharing his experience, to LCRA for hosting the training, and to Rodney Weaver, Mike Strickland, and Hunter Ho**er for delivering an engaging hands-on learning experience.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.

The door, frame, and hardware industry is constantly evolving. New technologies, changing codes, emerging security challenges, and shifting customer expectations require us to keep learning.

The strongest professionals aren't the ones who know everything.

They're the ones who remain curious enough to keep learning.

At DOIT, we're proud to support that mindset through education, training, and certifications designed to help industry professionals grow throughout their careers.


Because learning isn't something you finish.

It's something you continue.

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫.”

Recently reviewed this research report from the ALERRT Center:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭-𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.

The report examines the role of locked doors, access control, lockdown procedures, and physical security measures during school-based active shooter events, while also identifying common vulnerabilities and operational challenges observed across multiple incidents.

For those involved in school safety, life safety, security, facilities, architecture, or the openings industry, it provides valuable research and important discussion points related to:
• entry
• lockdown
• egress
• compartmentalization
• sheltering
• evacuation
• access control

Appreciate seeing continued research and conversation around the role physical openings and operational practices play in school safety and emergency preparedness.

ALERRT Report:https://alerrtresearch.org/resources/reports/report_2026_sia_locked_doors.pdf