WARREN, Ohio, Oct. 19, 2026 - Bolo Stick has released a free, printable School Safety Checklist for principals, superintendents, and school safety teams. Bolo Stick founder Bill Barna wrote it around five questions that cost nothing to answer. The checklist is at bolostick.com/school-safety-checklist, with no sign-up required.
"After three decades of police work, I can tell you that a single locked door can never be the whole security plan," said Barna, a retired police officer, police academy instructor, and substitute teacher. "A determined attacker can easily breach a single layer, but multiple layers of safety make it much more difficult and create a better chance for police response. Each and every layer of safety added improves the odds of survival in critical incidents."
The five questions
The checklist asks school leaders to start with five questions, before buying anything:
- Are any exterior doors propped open or accessible during the school day, and how are they monitored?
- Can every teacher, including a substitute, lock the classroom door from inside, without stepping into the hall? The Sandy Hook Advisory Commission called for exactly this in its 2015 final report.
- Can every staff member signal a lockdown, and is the district actively drilling their response protocols?
- Are police and fire personnel actively familiarizing themselves with each building in their district alongside school administration? If not, call them and ask them to walk the buildings of your district with you.
- Is there a threat assessment team, and do students know how to report a classmate who worries them?
How the checklist works
Each question has room to mark Yes, No, or Not sure, and to name an owner and a fix-by date. The sheet prints on a single page, and nothing entered on it is saved or sent. Print it before closing the page.
The idea is to take the sheet on a walk through the building and mark each answer on the spot. Every "No" or "Not sure" is a gap in one of the school's layers. Each gap gets a name and a date, and the most affordable gaps get fixed first.
One reminder sits at the bottom of the sheet: before adding anything to a door, ask the fire marshal what is allowed. Codes for classroom doors vary by state and by building.
Open the free School Safety Checklist
Start with a phone call
"The good news about that list is that it costs nothing but attention," Barna said. "Contact your police and fire departments and ask them to walk the buildings of your district with you. Ask your fire marshal what is allowed on your doors before you put anything on them. Then fix the most affordable gaps first. Layers of safety create the strongest barrier of protection against violence."
About Bill Barna and Bolo Stick
Bill Barna is a retired police officer with 33 years in law enforcement. In 2012 and 2013, while his own children were in school, he designed the Bolo Stick, an emergency door barricade made of 1045 cold-rolled steel. It is built for emergency use only and is sold across the United States and internationally, providing protection for schools, churches, and business locations. Bolo Stick LLC is based in Warren, Ohio. Learn more at bolostick.com.
Media contact
Barna is available to speak with reporters and school administrators about layered school security.
Bill Barna
Bolo Stick LLC
(330) 240-0422
bill@bolostick.net