Exit alarms and exit devices share a single commonality—they both occupy a spot at an exit door. Where exit signs show the way out of a building, exit alarms provide ready egress while securing a door against unauthorized access from possible outside threats. Unless a valid means of deactivation is used before operating an exit alarm, an audible alert will sound, thus drawing attention to the individual who goes through it.
“A door alarm is used for perimeter door control in a lot of different industries, such as retail stores, warehouses, etc. They are used to announce when a door is opened, while still allowing egress for life and fire safety,” says Bob Swoope, vice president sales with Alarm Lock of Amityville, NY. “A big part of where we started was with the loss prevention department in the retail sector to deter employees and customers from walking out the back door with merchandise without anyone knowing it. Our namesake, Alarm Lock, comes from this [application] which was developed 40 years ago.”
Exit alarms are designed to create two outcomes from a security perspective: 1) they strive to keep people honest by their mere presence, and 2) they work to catch people when they’re dishonest.
In most cases, when an exit alarm sounds, it signals the presence of someone that has something to hide, be it an effort not to pay for goods consumed, such as food, or to leave the premises with products in hand without anyone knowing.
Leaving through unmanned exits is a popular means of theft among dishonest employees as well as shoplifters. According to The Brain Research Institute, employees alone are responsible for $50 billion in theft in the United States (http://bit.ly/1kFxxys). In terms of shoplifters, the National Association For Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) claims that shoppers are responsible for more than $13 billion (http://nym.ag/1T2rMWY).
Clearly employee theft tops that of shoplifting, and this is one reason why exit alarms are so important in commercial businesses and other facilities of all kinds, such as: K-12 schools, restaurants, warehouses, retail stores, grocery outlets, apartment buildings, day cares, nursing homes, hospitals, indoor and outdoor swimming pools (primarily for safety), and others.
Whether it involves employee theft or shoplifting, the crime itself involves “opportunity.” The phenomena is a lot like impulse buying where retail and grocery stores place “impulse items” at the checkout where consumers are sure to see them. The idea is that these small items represent a temptation to the buyer who ends up placing a few on the counter to purchase them. In the case of a shoplifter, any item in the store can be a target and those who steal them do so because they can and because the opportunity is there.
Take this theft report by Crime Stoppers concerning a theft perpetrated by a team of shoplifters in a new REI store in the Columbus, Ohio area. "…three unidentified subjects entered the store and walked around the Garmin electronics section. While browsing in this area, it is believed two men acted as ‘look-outs’ while a female actually stole seven GPS units by concealing them beneath her mumu style dress," says Sean Rowe with Central Ohio Crime Stoppers (http://bit.ly/218V0bY).
The fact is, 27 million shoplifters (1 in 11 buyers) commonly steal up to $200 at a time, depending on the type of store they are in, and many of them actually purchase goods as they steal other merchandise (http://bit.ly/1PQiygg). The rub here, according to the NASP, is that more than three quarters of them do not plan to do so when they first walk into the store, and yet so many of them do because the “opportunity” is there.
Exit alarms actually are part of a wider effort on the part of Loss Prevention to prevent crimes of opportunity that include several means, such as the positioning of impulse goods and other merchandise in clear view of cameras and cashiers while placing relatively small expensive goods, such as high-priced electronic and jewelry, in glass cases. The installation of cameras in strategic locations throughout a store also is of immense help in curbing theft as is the presence of electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems at each door, warning decals thereon, and the placement of quality exit alarms on appropriate exit doors. All of these things are meant to deter shoplifters, employees, and vendors.
“If you have a warehouse with multiple doors, you would want to know when someone is walking through a door and stealing merchandise. Without a [exit] alarm, employees or customers could walk out the back door with a few items at a time undetected,” says Swoope. “A [exit] alarm prevents that from happening by warning you of the event. The presence of the exit alarm itself also makes people think twice about pilfering. And in a lot of cases that little bit of deterrence is enough to keep people honest.”
Exit Alarm Mechanics
Exit alarms come in many shapes, sizes, and forms, but they all fit into either of two categories: combination mechanical/electronic and stand-alone electronic. Stand-alone electronic exit alarms are ancillary devices that augment the use of a traditional exit device. When someone opens the door, the exit alarm goes into alarm to annunciate the opening through a magnetic switched fastened to the door. This is done locally and sometimes remotely by connecting a set of electrical contacts inside the exit alarm to an alarm system or a loud sounder at a central location(s) inside the facility. Control is usually provided by a cam lock, mortise cylinder, or a keypad/PIN (personal identification number).
Where some combination mechanical/electronic exit alarms use a paddle that can be pushed to exit a building, others come with a push (crash) bar that extends across the door with a lever or doorknob on the outside with a key cylinder that operates the mechanism for ingress purposes.
In all cases, pressing the paddle or bar will operate a mechanical latch ‑ either mortise or rim-mount ‑ allowing the door to freely open so someone can exit the building. The electronic portion, which often is built into, or added to the mechanical exit mechanism, also sounds an alarm when the device is engaged, unless it is disarmed or bypassed by an authorized person.
Code Compliance
Exit alarms must fulfill local, county, and state fire codes. Those that don’t are quickly discovered by the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) and soon removed. The AHJ can be a government official involved in local code enforcement or an inspector that works for an insurance company. Once discovered, fines and penalties can ensue when and if corrections are not made within a given period of time.
In the case of exit alarms this equates to a well-defined need to provide free egress, limiting access to authorized personnel, and providing an audible alarm when someone other opens the door without deactivating or bypassing it first. To comply with fire code, exit alarms must provide free egress by the simple turn of a door knob, the tug of a lever, or the press of a push (crash) bar or paddle.
Two specific code references apply to the exit alarms that locksmiths install. First is NFPA 72, Section 21.9.1, 2013 Edition, which says, “Electrically locked doors in a required means of egress shall unlock in the direction of egress where required by other laws, codes, and governing standards.” Typically, manufacturers have already assured compliance during the engineering and third-party approval of their exit alarm products.
The second code reference comes from NFPA 101, Section 7.1.9, 2009 Edition, which says, "Any device or alarm installed to restrict the improper use of a means of egress shall be designed and installed so that it cannot, even in case of failure, impede or prevent emergency use of such means of egress, unless otherwise provided in 7.2.1.6 and Chapters 18, 19, 22, and 23."
The first portion of Section 7.1.9 in NFPA 101 refers to exit alarms that allow occupants to evacuate with a simple press of a bar/paddle or the turn of a lever or knob. The last reference to NFPA 101, Section 7.2.1.6, refers to exit alarm devices equipped with a 15/30 second delayed egress feature. These exit alarms are designed to prevent egress for a default period of 15 seconds, but when doing so, you must integrate them with existing fire protection equipment in the building, such as automatic sprinkler alarms, fire alarm systems, heat sensors, smoke detectors, etc.
The objective is that when there’s a fire and one of these connected devices/systems detects it, your egress delayed exit alarm MUST immediately unlock the door, providing ready exit on demand. And, using a 30 second egress delay requires the additional endorsement of a local fire inspector/AHJ. If you have additional questions regarding fire code compliance, feel free to reach out to the author of this article by sending an email to [email protected] with the phrase “fire code question” in the subject line.
Available Products
If you can install a common rim or mortise exit device, you can most assuredly install exit alarms. If you’re not already doing so, you’re leaving money on the table. If you’re new to exit alarms, use the following list of manufacturers and exit alarm products as a starting point. If you already install them, maybe one of these products will inspire you or catch your eye.
Sirenlock by Alarm Lock: The Model 700 Sirenlock exit alarm is mechanical and electronic and comes with a 33- or -nch push (crash) bar that mounts across an exit door and the Model 250 comes with a paddle. Both units offer deadbolt and deadlatch locking with low-pressure activation and a 95db dual tone piezo sounder with a programmable 2 minute or an indefinite alarm time. Power is provided by a 9-Volt battery with a life expectancy of one year. When the battery begins to lose its power, a warning tone notifies the owner or operator of the facility long before power is lost. A cam lock installed through the door provides non-alarmed ingress to those with a key. Both models meet UL, CFM, ADA, and NYC housing requirements. Use the model 715 for a 15-second delay egress. For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/1SMeMo4.
Arrow 300/400 Series: The 300 series electronic exit alarm comes with a 10-3/8 inch paddle and the 400 comes with a push (crash) bar in lengths of 24 to 30 inches, 30 to 36 inches, and 37 to 48 inches. Both models monitor the position of the lock mechanism so when someone opens the door without deactivating the unit, a 90db alarm will sound for two minutes before the unit automatically resets. Internal circuits also provide optional connection for remote monitoring. Inside lock cylinder (not provided) arms and disarms the unit while outdoor cylinder (optional) operates the lock mechanism and bypasses the alarm. According to Arrow, the 300 and 400 exit alarms cannot be permanently disarmed as the unit will automatically arm when the key is withdrawn from the inside cylinder. Both models are UL listed and meet relevant ANSI standards. For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/1RS3IFk.
Detex EAX: The EAX-500 self-contained electronic exit alarm uses a common mortise cylinder for arming and disarming (not provided) and features a 100 db piezo alarm sounder. The unit, which is equipped with a low-battery sensor, is powered by a 9-Volt battery with a life expectancy of approximately one year. The EAX-500 monitors the position of the door using a surface-mounted magnet on the jamb of the door. It also will accommodate a second mortise cylinder lock installed on the outside of the door for authorized entries. The EAX-500 meets UL for fire as well as ANSI/BHMA standards. For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/1SQX6qQ.
Sargent & Greenleaf 5100 Series: The 5100 mechanical exit alarm comes with a paddle that must be pressed to open an exit door. Deactivation/bypass initiates a 15-second exit delay during which the individual must clear the door and close it in order to avoid an alarm situation. When activated, the dual-frequency piezo sounder will alarm for two minutes then automatically reset and rearm. The 5100, which meets UL and ANSI standards, is powered by a 9-Volt battery, comes with a mortise cylinder lock for inside operation of the exit alarm device. An optional outdoor mortise cylinder can be purchased for silent ingress. For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/1PSWq50.
SDC Spectra Class S6000 Series: The S6000 series exit alarms are designed to accommodate mortise, rim, and surface vertical rod mountings. It comes with a push (crash) bar designed to fit 36-, 42- and 48-inch doors with models rated for exit alarm and fire-rated exit device utilization. The S6000 series also includes a 15-second delay egress feature per fire code as well as a field-selectable 1 to 30 second request-to-exit, anti-tailgate, and door-prop alarm features. These units come with a key switch for reset and bypass control along with provisions for fire alarm integration that assures the immediate unlocking of the exit alarm device when there’s a power failure and/or a confirmed fire in the building. The S6000 series meets relevant ANSI/BHMA and UBC 97 standards and meets and exceeds ADA requirements. For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/1X5G0Mg.
Securitech Trident Multi-Point Deadbolt: The models 100 and 200 Trident locking devices are designed for maximum protection at exit points using three locking points that consist of stainless steel bolts that project 1 inch into the door frame (see photo). A fourth lock point on the hinge side assures that criminals cannot lift the door by removing the hinges. For exit alarm use, the model 100 and 200 must be combined with Securtech’s battery-operated model A10 electronic alarm, which comes with an armored cable and integral key switch for bypass and includes fire-compliant delay egress. For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/1Lu1qGT.
STI Exit Stopper: The model 6400, manufactured by STI (Safety Technology Inc.) offers a relatively inexpensive electronic exit alarm solution because it can be added it to any exit door with or without exit hardware. Key switch operated, bypass can be achieved without sounding the alarm. However, when tripped, the alarm can be programmed to sound off for 30 seconds, 3 minutes, or indefinitely. A delay of 30 seconds also can be programmed into the 6400 to allow authorized entries using a key (provided). Valid users can reset the 6400 but cannot turn it off as it is active 24/7. The unit uses a 9-Volt battery. For more information on the STI 6400, go to: http://bit.ly/1Nl2XXk.
