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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 nonslip material that grips any surface while protecting the floor from scratches. The patented design ensures that even with heavy use, its performance will not slip.
“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” wide by 2’ high that is usually really close to the handle and the lock set, which makes the lock vulnerable," says Michael Romano, a Hadley, Mass. policeman and school resource officer. "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.”
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 and 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.
The Gripper Doorstop can be used to enhance safety during lockdowns in almost any facility, including hospitals, office buildings, and hotels. Because of its unique design, the Gripper Doorstop can accommodate almost any size and type of door.
