Designed by a police officer for his kids' school
School Door Barricade for Classroom Lockdowns
Bill Barna spent 33 years in law enforcement, then designed the Bolo Stick for the classrooms his own children sat in. One steel pin, one motion, and police and fire can still open the door from the hallway.
“I've acquired virtually every barricade device on the market to review and demo during facility security assessments. Bolo Stick has been my go-to recommendation for school districts for a few years now.”
When the lockdown call comes
How the Bolo Stick Locks Down a Classroom
The floor plate goes in once, flush with the floor, and stays out of the way on a normal school day. The pin only goes in during a lockdown or a drill.
Step 1 of 4
Drop the pin
Take the steel pin and drop it through the door bracket into the floor plate. Round peg, round hole. No key to find, nothing to twist, and no stepping into the hallway.
Step 2 of 4
The door holds
The pin is 1045 cold-rolled steel, independently tested to more than 4,200 pounds of force. It works on inswing and outswing classroom doors.
Step 3 of 4
Responders can still get in
The commercial model has master key access. Police and fire disengage it from outside the classroom without anyone inside opening the door.
Step 4 of 4
Lift it at the all-clear
Pull the pin straight up and the door opens. It stays out of the door until the next drill or emergency.
- Emergency use only. The Bolo Stick is never an everyday lock. Between drills and emergencies, the door works exactly as it did before.
What districts test before they sign
Five Questions to Ask of Any Classroom Door Barricade
Lakewood City Schools tested several barricades on four different types of classroom doors before choosing the Bolo Stick for 658 of them. These are the questions that decide it.
Can a frightened adult set it?
Heart rates spike in a lockdown and fine motor skills go first. Anything with a latch to line up, a strap to cinch or a knob to turn costs seconds. The Bolo Stick asks for one motion.
“We tried to replicate what it would be like to use this when tensions were high. We felt that of all the devices we tested, the Bolo Stick offered plenty of tolerance for the pin, a lot of clearance — it won't bind.”
Does it fit every door you have?
Older buildings rarely have one door type. The same Bolo Stick installs on inswing and outswing doors, over wood, tile or concrete floors.
What does each door cost?
$69 a unit and no contractor. A maintenance tech installs one in about 5 minutes with a drill. Pricing drops at 100 units.
What can break?
Nothing to charge, update or wear out. No batteries, no electronics, no springs.
Is it allowed in your building?
That depends on your state and your local officials.
See what fire officials checkThe first question your fire marshal will ask
Fire Codes and Classroom Barricades
Fire officials are wary of barricades for a fair reason. A device that takes several steps to remove, or that nobody in the hallway can open, can slow an evacuation or keep responders out.
The Bolo Stick was built around those concerns: master key access from outside, one motion to remove, and emergency use only. Codes still vary by state and by building, so talk to your local building official and fire marshal before you install.
Trumbull County Building Inspection, Ohio, April 14, 2016
Chief Building Official Michael Sliwinski, P.E., reviewed the Bolo Stick against Ohio's rule for temporary door locking devices in school buildings. His letter says that, used as designed, it meets the 2011 Ohio Building Code.
The letter covers unincorporated Trumbull County and the cities of Cortland, Hubbard and Newton Falls. Your own officials make their own call.
Read the letter (PDF)What Ohio's 2016 rule asked of schools
Ohio Building Code 1008.1.9.11, temporary door locking devices in school buildings. Ohio has updated its code since, so ask your building official which version applies to you.
- Approved by the building official and noted on the certificate of occupancy.
- A school safety plan adopted and filed under Ohio Revised Code 3313.536.
- Used only in an emergency or an active shooter drill.
- Set only by a staff member of the school.
- Local police and fire told before the device is put to use.
- Staff trained on it, with training records kept for the fire official.
- Not permanently mounted, except parts like brackets and pins that leave the door working normally.
- Removed in one operation, or two in a building with full sprinklers.
Why a police officer built it
Bill Barna Designed It for His Own Kids' Classrooms
Bill spent 33 years as a police officer. He designed the Bolo Stick in 2012 and 2013, while his children were in school. The goal was a classroom door a teacher could secure in one motion, without a key and without stepping into the hallway.
“Mr. Bill Barna at Bolo Stick has truly gone out of his way to develop a great partnership with Liberty ISD.”
- NASRO Associate Member
- Tennessee Sheriffs' Association
- Made in the USA
From the people who signed the purchase order
What School Leaders Say After Installing It
“In a smaller school district built over years of changing building codes, Bolo Stick was the product we selected which met all of our criteria to function with the least possible amount of human or mechanical error.”
“We felt it was the best quality device that was out there — the easiest for our teachers to use and for our maintenance staff to install.”
“The optimal device that is on the market to ensure that we keep the students as safe as we possibly can.”
“Very happy with your product. Our whole school is outfitted with these.”
“Southwest Construction has completed the installation of 70 Bolo Sticks in a local Jewish high school in Los Angeles. The product works well, and installation was easy and as described.”
For purchasing offices
Buying Classroom Barricades for a Whole District
Lakewood City Schools, Ohio
658 doors
August 2023
The district tested barricades on four types of classroom doors, then used part of a million-dollar safety grant to put a Bolo Stick on 658 of them.
Read the Lakewood story- $69 per unit, with volume pricing from 100 units.
- Purchase orders, W-9s, formal quotes and invoicing.
- State and federal school safety grant funding welcome.
- Shipping quoted up front, including multi-box orders.
- Commercial units install with security bits, sold separately: 2 for $8.50 or 10 for $40.
Buying for one room? Order the Commercial Door Barricade for $69.
School Door Barricade Questions
Are classroom door barricades legal?
It depends on your state and your building. Some states, Ohio among them, wrote rules for temporary door locking devices in schools. Others leave it to the local building official and fire marshal. Ask both before you install, and bring the product details with you.
Can police and firefighters open a barricaded classroom door?
Yes, with the commercial model. It has master key access, so police and fire can disengage it from outside the room. Schools should order the commercial Bolo Stick, not the residential one.
Does it work on outswing classroom doors?
Yes. The same unit installs on inswing and outswing doors, and the installation guide covers both.
Is the Bolo Stick ADA compliant?
It needs no tight grasping, pinching or twisting. It mounts low on the door, not at the 34 to 48 inch height the ADA sets for door hardware, so we do not market it as ADA compliant. Check accessibility requirements with your local officials.
Do teachers need training?
Using it takes one motion, so training is short. Plan for it anyway. Ohio's 2016 rule required documented staff training, and other states may too. Practice it in your lockdown drills.
Can the barricade stay in the door all day?
No. The Bolo Stick is for emergencies and drills only, never for everyday locking. The floor plate stays installed and the pin stays out of the door until it is needed.
Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. We work with district purchasing offices on purchase orders, W-9s, formal quotes and invoicing, and with schools paying through state or federal safety grants.
How many do we need?
One for each door you would secure in a lockdown: classrooms, offices, the library, any room people would shelter in. Send a door count and we will quote the whole building.
Price Out Every Classroom in Your Building
Send your door count. We come back with a price, shipping included, ready for your purchasing office.