Industry Advocacy

For nearly half a century, DHI has advocated legislatively for our industry through strong partnerships with other advocacy associations. Additionally, our association is passionately concerned with school safety and security and has helped to protect students, faculty, administrators, and staff through our thought leadership and initiatives like the DHI School Safety and Security Policy Principles.

Our members also have access to advocacy tools to help communicate factual information to policymakers on school safety and security issues.

Member-Only Advocacy Resources

DHI School Safety and Security Policy Principles

DHI members are industry experts in providing life safety and security solutions, including in school environments. We offer solutions to help protect the lives of students, faculty, and staff. DHI’s School Safety and Security Policy Principles document outlines our position and solutions to this critical issue. You can utilize this document to help us advocate for our industry’s expertise as providers of proven door hardware solutions that protect lives.

Download the Document

Advocacy

DHI/DSSF Statement

Industry Partners

DHI has been a long-time member and partner with several associations that advocate on behalf of small businesses, distribution, and the legislative issues that impact our industry. These organizations’ benefits are passed along directly to corporate members and help us engage in key advocacy positions impacting the industry. These partners include the following organizations (click partner name to expand).

National Association of Wholesale Distributors (NAW)

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) is composed of direct member companies and a federation of international, national, regional, state, and local associations and their member companies, which collectively total more than 30,000 employers, with locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NAW-affiliated companies are a constituency at the core of our economy — the link in the marketing chain between manufacturers and retailers, and commercial, institutional, and governmental end users.

NAW’s mission is to advocate for its members’ interests on national public policy issues that affect the entire wholesale distribution industry. NAW assists merchant wholesaler-distributors to be the most efficient channel for bringing goods to market through benchmarking, strategic management information, networking, and high-level conferences. Learn more.

The Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC)

The SBLC represents nearly every sector of our economy and has become a unified force that is respected throughout the government.

The SBLC is concerned with the small business community as a whole; the issues on which the Council acts are those that affect all small businesses. These matters include taxes, liability insurance, budget, antitrust enforcement, employment issues, government procurement, environment, and establishment of a small business voice in Washington, venture capital, and other small business financing mechanisms. Learn more.

School Security and Safety Partnerships

DHI has partnered with organizations and alliances to further our ability to advocate for safe and secure schools across the U.S. These partners include the below (click partner name to expand).

Door Security & Safety Foundation (DSSF)

We engage with all stakeholders in the building construction community to advocate for knowledgeable experts such as DHI-credentialed professionals. Our work is currently focused on healthcare facility maintenance directors, engineers, and mechanics for our awareness and education activities surrounding fire door inspection requirements. We also have a campaign for school administrators called “Opening the Door to School Safety” about the dangers of temporary door locking devices and advocating for those with expertise about the opening to provide code-compliant solutions. You can learn more about this campaign at www.lockdontblock.org and more about DSSF on their website.

Security Industry Association(SIA)

The Security Industry Association is dedicated to working to enhance the safety and security of schools in the United States. SIA supports increased federal assistance to schools struggling with the cost of meeting security needs, the adoption of successful state school security assistance programs and initiatives, and nationwide use of best practices for school security. Learn more.

Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS)

First established in 2014, the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) is a 501c3 organization that brings together expertise from the education, public safety, and industry communities to develop and support a coordinated approach to making effective use of proven security practices specific to K-12 environments, and informed decisions on security investments. Learn more.

Building Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA)

The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA®) is the trade association for North American manufacturers of commercial builders' hardware. BHMA® is involved in standards, codes, and life safety regulations and other activities that specifically impact builders' hardware performance standards for locks, closers, exit devices, and other builders' hardware. It is the only organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop and maintain builders' hardware performance standards. Learn more.