There are approximately one hundred sixty doors in the University Tower which have restricted access. The fire code requires nearly half of these doors to be passable to allow for additional building egress in the event of an emergency. Due to the fire code, the doors are equipped with a push bar and a sign on the door stating that during an emergency, the door may be unlocked utilizing the push bar. The sign also states that an alarm will sound and that the door will unlock fifteen seconds after the bar is pushed. If the door is opened in this way, it remains unlocked until the lock is reset. To reset the lock on the door, someone is required to respond to the door with a key. The alarm does not does not sound at the police station, therefore the door remains unlocked either until a police department employee discovers the unlocked door during security rounds, or someone informs us of the unlocked door.
Unfortunately, many employees are using the entry method stated above for routine entry, rather than using their ID Badges to gain entry via the card reader. This defeats the security feature that was put in place for your safety and the safety of your property. The push bar on these doors should only be used in the event of an emergency.
Please use your ID Badge to gain entry to all area where card readers are present.
For more information, contact: Police Chief Joe Curreri at 7636