Doorstop Used In Lockdown Protocols

The Gripper Doorstop was developed by Expanded Technologies as an easy way to keep doors open while rooms were cleaned, but it has recently emerged as a critical tool to prevent intruders from entering rooms during a lockdown. It’s a bright yellow doorstop with a hook for easy storage, covered on the bottom with a non-slip material that grips any surface while protecting the floor from scratches.

“A lot of classrooms have a solid core oak door or an industrial metal door, and they have a small window that’s approximately 6-inches wide by 2-feet high that is usually really close to the handle and the lock set, which makes the lock vulnerable. With the Expanded Technologies device, you wedge it down low. If it’s wedged in securely, it’s going to be hard to move it. Statistically speaking, an active shooter just moves onto the next classroom if they’re not able to defeat the door,” says Michael Romano, a Hadley, Mass. policeman and school resource officer.

The Gripper Doorstop has been tested successfully on multiple types of flooring. When the doorstop is wedged under the door from the inside of a room, the material on its underside ensures that the door cannot be forced open from the outside. More schools are incorporating the Gripper Doorstop into their lockdown procedures to help keep students and employees safe by preventing access to classrooms by intruders.