Hurricane shutters are meant to keep danger out. But a shutter that cannot be opened from inside can also keep people in. Fires, gas leaks and other emergencies do not stop during hurricane season, and many happen when storm protection is in place and power is out. Planning for safe exit is an essential part of choosing shutters, especially for bedrooms, dormitories, shelters and other sleeping areas.
What Is an Emergency Escape Opening?
Building codes require certain rooms to have a way out other than the main door. In homes built under the International Residential Code, sleeping rooms and some basements must have an emergency escape and rescue opening, typically a window or exterior door that meets minimum size and height requirements. Commercial and institutional buildings follow other code provisions and life safety standards, but the principle is similar: occupants must be able to get out, and firefighters must be able to get in.
A key requirement is that emergency escape openings must be operable from inside the room without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge. Codes allow bars, grilles, screens and shutters over these openings only when they have an approved release mechanism that meets the same test.
How Shutters Can Block an Exit
- Plywood and screwed-on panels can only be removed from outside with tools.
- Storm panels in tracks are usually secured with wing nuts or bolts on the exterior.
- Roll-down shutters may be motorized; in a power failure, a manual override may be slow or located outside.
- Accordion shutters may lock with keys or from outside.
- Security bars without quick releases are a well-known fire hazard.
Even well-intended protection can become dangerous if no one in the room knows how to open it, if the release is hidden behind furniture, or if a child cannot operate it.
Shutter Features That Support Safe Egress
Inside release mechanisms
The most important feature is a release that can be operated from inside with a simple motion, such as a single lever or push bar, without keys or tools. The STORM SHIELD Side Hinge with Security Egress uses a single point panic release latch so the barrier swings open quickly, and it is described by Exeter as complying with NFPA 101B requirements.
Hinged operation
Barriers that swing on hinges can open fully once released, leaving the whole window available as an exit. Panels that must be lifted out of tracks are much harder to remove from inside, especially in smoke and darkness.
Visibility
See-thru barriers allow occupants to see outside and confirm that an escape route is clear, and allow firefighters to see into the room. Solid shutters hide both. Read how see-through hurricane shutters work.
Ease of use
Releases should be usable by everyone who sleeps in the room, including children and older adults. When STORM SHIELD barriers were installed on Bay County, Florida schools, local officials noted they were easy enough to open that even a child could do it, so parents did not have to worry about children being unable to get out.
Planning Egress Openings Room by Room
- Identify every escape opening. Mark bedrooms, basements with sleeping areas, dormitory rooms and any room where a window is the secondary exit.
- Choose egress-capable protection for those openings, such as hinged barriers with an inside release or doors designed for daily use.
- Check clearances. Make sure an opened barrier does not hit landscaping, fences or air conditioning units that would block the path.
- Keep the release accessible. Do not block windows with furniture, and keep the area below the window clear.
- Practice. Show every occupant how to open the barrier, and include it in your family or facility fire drill.
- Confirm with the building official. Requirements vary by code edition and jurisdiction, and the release mechanism must be acceptable to the local authority.
During a Power Outage
Hurricanes frequently knock out electricity for days. That affects egress in ways people do not always expect. Motorized shutters may not open without a working manual override. Rooms are dark, so a release that is easy to find in daylight can be hard to locate at night. Generators bring their own risk of fire and carbon monoxide, which makes a reliable second exit even more important. Before the season starts, keep flashlights in every bedroom, confirm that every escape opening can be opened without power, and make sure smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have fresh batteries. A see-thru barrier also lets some daylight into the room and lets occupants check conditions outside before opening it.
Egress in Larger Buildings
In schools, residence halls, shelters, apartment buildings and health care facilities, window protection is part of the building's life safety plan. Facility managers should coordinate with fire officials on which openings serve as rescue openings, how staff will operate any releases, and how protection interacts with smoke control and evacuation routes. Exeter's original CRIME SHIELD security barrier, with emergency egress capability, became a product of choice among colleges, universities, inner-city schools and housing authorities for exactly this reason. Read more in hurricane protection for critical facilities.
Doors as Escape Routes
Exterior doors are often the primary exit. Protection for doors should allow everyday use and quick opening from inside. Hinged hurricane doors that look and work like security screen doors, and sliding patio hurricane doors, protect glass doors while keeping them usable. See hurricane barrier doors.
Balancing Security and Escape
Owners sometimes worry that an inside release weakens security. A well-designed egress barrier stays locked against forced entry from outside, because the release is only reachable from inside the room. This is how a single product can serve as a hurricane shutter, a security screen and an emergency exit. Our article on security screens vs hurricane barriers explores the combination further.
Conclusion
Never let hurricane protection turn a bedroom or dormitory into a trap. Identify every emergency escape opening, choose shutters with an approved inside release that anyone can operate, keep the path clear and practice using it. With the right product, you can protect a building from hurricanes and intruders while keeping a safe way out for the people inside.