aloa.org June 2024 Keynotes 21 extra knowledge and certification can set us apart as employees, adding value to our institutions and increasing our paychecks. If your institution has been contract- ing fire door inspections, becoming cer- tified could save them money. Regardless of any of these factors, it is a win-win situation. Your willingness to learn more will only bring good. This would also add to your career in physical security. So, what will you learn from taking the fire door inspector class? The infor- mation listed below is taken from the table of contents from the class manual. 1. General Information: Listing Agencies Testing Laboratories Standards Organizations Industrial Trade Groups 2. Code Regarding Fire Doors NFPA 80 History NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors NFPA 101 Life Safety General Requirements NFPA 80 3. AHJ, Owner, and AFDI Roles 4. Inspection list 5. Fire Listed Hardware 6. Acceptable Repairs to Fire Doors In addition, there is an appendix that contains definitions and references. I want to share in more detail some examples of essential things I learned from taking the class. Please see the information below related to acceptable repairs for fire doors. These repairs do not require re-inspection or relabeling. Replace defective surface door closer. Fill any old holes that the new closer does not use. Must use steel screws to fill holes. Replace defective exit devices with the same equivalent rated type of device. Fill in any holes that the new product does not use. Must use steel screws to fill holes. Shim the hinges to regain the proper gaps for the fire door, as required. You must use steel shims; no paper or plastic shims. Replace or repair the defective door coordinator with a new unit, and fill any old holes the new product does not use. Must use steel screws to fill holes. Replace or repair defective glazing strips and weather stripping with labeled products, and fill any old holes the new product does not use. Must use steel screws to fill holes. Adjust the door closer so that the door closes and latches. Replace the lock with an equally labeled unit that meets the label’s requirement. Fill any holes that the new product does not use. Must use steel screws. Additional Learning We learned about the information on a fire door label during the class, which was interesting. We were shown an example of a Warnock Hersey door label, which lists 12 items, with the 12th listed in bold letters. It is crucial not to remove or cover this label, as it is the most com- mon deficiency found when inspecting a fire door. Often, the labels are removed or painted over, which requires recerti- fication of the door. The class also had instructions on where the door labels are usually located, which saves time during the inspection process. Another valuable discussion during the class was developing a report based on a 13-point inspection and present- ing the report with photos. All stu- dents made their reports and presented them to the class. One of my favorite parts of the class was the presentation, which discussed deficiencies during the inspection process, with photos for the documentation. Tom, the instructor, did an excellent job teaching this class. I highly recom- mend it to everyone who wants to add another essential building block to their foundation and improve their knowl- edge. Steve Fryman, CRL, CAI, CISM, AFDI, is a second-generation locksmith with over 45 years of experience. He has been a business owner for 20 years and is currently working at Florida State University as a key compliance manager. Steve is a subject matter expert in institutional shop management. Becoming a Certified ALOA Fire Door Inspector is an excellent way to gain additional knowledge that can add to your value as an employee. ALOA routinely offers its ALOA Fire Door Inspector class as a webinar. Contact [email protected] for more information.
