How do you balance risk of escape with needing to get out in case of fire?

[Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads]

DS1 can now open the bolt and chain on our front door. I got a new deadlock fitted and now wear it round my neck all the time he's awake and in the house. But what do you do at night? It now takes us forever to open the front door, and I do worry about needing to get out in a hurry because of a fire. The door is alarmed and we set it at night so would hear ds1 if he got through through bolt and chains.

Curious about how others have solved this problem.

PMSL - wear the key round my neck, not the deadlock!

Can you fit a bolt lock at the top of the door that ds1 can't reach? We have one of those and have to use it because ds can/would still do a runner given half a chance.

He gets a chair!

Ah! ds isn't quite that organised.

Can you get number locks for doors?

The ward mum is on is 'locked' and they have a key pad thing.

\link{http://www.codelocks.co.uk/push-button-lock.htm\this sort of thing...pricy though}

I've thought of that for the kitchen or something. What would happen in a fire though, would it seize up?

For years we've had a deadlock thing up high on the front door, one with a knob and not a key. Although DS is very good at opening things and has very good motor skills he couldn't reach this and it was too stiff if he could....... he now can open it and we have been putting the chain on too which has a special catch on it.
TBH, the chance of escape is far higher than fire. Anything that can slow them down but its easier if its not key-orientated is worth it. Have you tried a hook that goes over a loop up high? A friend of mine has got quite an elaborate one but its easy when you know how, I should ask her where she got it as it might help us too.

I don't know what you do really

we have to keep the door to the children's room closed because it comes out on the landing right at the top of very steep stairs (which are too wide for a stairgate). That means the kids cannot open the door from the inside which I hate but we can't have it any other way. Our front door also only opens with a key.

Have you planned out any other escape routes - e.g. out of windows or back doors - I have done this (in my mind) in case there is a fire.

I don't know. I would have thought that they would have to be fairly robust as they are used in lots of hospital wards, forces establishments etc, schools etc.

They have switched from one of those to a fancy touch pad one on mums ward, not sure if that was for H and S reasons. you could ask the suppliers I suppose.

I wouldn't have thought it would be any worse than a normal one TBH, and if it is hot enough to melt it, you'd already be on fire trying to use it I think.

Davros I couldn't open your front door :o I was thinking about your thingy. A loop thing may be the way to go (I have a fear of fire as I was trapped in a tent I thought was on fire (!) once- it was the most scary experience of my life and I could not get the zip open!!)

The push button code ones are usually linked into the fire alarm systems in commercial situations. If the alarm goes off, the lock opens

we had i new upvc front door and had a special thingy fitted to it,hard to explain really but its is straight peice on upvc stuff that is fitted above the door that twists around and comes down and overlaps the very top of the door.