DHI ADVOCACY COMMITTEE LAUNCHES INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY

Nowhere is this more important than in schools, where DHI members help protect students, teachers, and staff in emergencies. Our top priority is to protect every student, in every situation, every day.

To advance this mission, the DHI Board of Governors created the DHI Advocacy Committee earlier this year. The committee consists of key industry influencers, who are charged with the goal to define and develop strategies for our industry to influence policy on a national and local level.

DHI recognizes that it must be a leading voice on school safety and security as well as be proactive in dealing with changing market dynamics and legislation to position our industry as a leading source of critical information.

As security and safety experts, DHI members have always designed or specified solutions for schools and other public buildings. In the process, we will remain dedicated to maintaining building, fire, and life safety codes and promoting solutions that are well-founded, tested, and provide proven results.

We will build a comprehensive program at the national level to provide a foundation for action at the state and local levels, where legislation and regulations need our attention and input. The DHI Advocacy Committee has developed school safety and security policy principles that will help guide the organization and the industry as we progress into the 2021 legislative cycle (to be released soon)

Our initiatives will equip and support those willing to carry our message to key stakeholders, including state legislators, county governments, public safety officials, school boards, school district leaders, and others. We will also engage outside influencers such as lobbyists to help navigate impactful issues.

Support from DHI members is critical to our success. The committee will build a real-time online dashboard, state issue tracking, and resource library for the industry to provide visibility into these programs. We will engage members at the local level to provide training and tools for delivering our messages. Marketing efforts will develop collateral and promotional materials for members and external audiences with the collaboration of the Door Security & Safety Foundation (DSSF).

We recognize that broad-based efforts and support beyond our industry are also essential to our success. We have a network of like-minded organizations on these issues that can add value and reach a broader audience.

We have already actively participated in legislative debates about school safety issues in Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Virginia to provide maximum influence to advance safe and effective code-compliant solutions.