Educational facilities present specific fire and life safety challenges. Students, staff, and visitors move through shared corridors, stairways, and multi-use spaces throughout the day. Many newer schools include open plans, glass storefronts, and multistory circulation paths. During a fire event, these features can allow fire and smoke to travel beyond the area of origin.
In school incidents, smoke movement often affects egress conditions before flames spread. Fire+smoke control strategies in educational buildings are designed to limit the movement of smoke and heat through the structure. Smoke Guard’s fire+smoke deployable curtain systems support this approach by providing code-compliant opening protection while allowing schools to maintain open, flexible environments during normal operation.
Applications of Fire+Smoke Curtains in Schools
Educational facilities include a range of openings that require different levels of protection depending on layout, occupancy, and code requirements. Smoke Guard manufactures systems specifically designed for these unique conditions.
Horizontal curtain systems in cafeterias, commons, and gymnasiums can create a temporary boundary to help contain smoke during an event, potentially providing additional critical time for staff/student evacuation.
- Elevator smoke containment systems help limit smoke migration through hoistway openings.
- Vertical fire+smoke curtains are used in corridors, glass storefronts, and stage openings where a rated assembly is required.
- Perimeter curtain systems can define larger protected zones in areas without natural compartmentation.
- Draft curtains help channel smoke toward sprinklers and/or exhaust systems as part of a larger fire-life-safety strategy, and so other life safety features can operate as intended.
Smoke Guard’s systems are manufactured from fire-resistant materials and integrate with the building’s fire alarm and/or local smoke detection system. Available configurations allow design teams and code authorities to match the level of protection to the opening condition, whether smoke containment or fire+smoke-rated curtains performance is required.
How Fire+Smoke Curtains Support Educational Facilities
Smoke Guard systems remain concealed during normal operation and deploy under alarm conditions. This allows schools to maintain open circulation paths and clear sightlines while still addressing fire+smoke protection needs, student/staff safety, and meeting code requirements. In large open spaces, curtain deployment can help guide occupants toward egress routes. In corridor conditions, the systems help maintain safe evacuation paths and firefighter access.
Project Example: Liberty High School, Lubbock, Texas
Liberty High School in Lubbock, TX, shows how Smoke Guard’s fire+smoke curtains can be
incorporated effectively into an educational facility. The school’s Field House includes a long central corridor with glass storefront construction that required code-compliant fire+smoke protection. Smoke Guard provided six M2100F vertical fire+smoke curtains using its proven SGTEX 30 fire-rated material.
The system operates on a gravity fail-safe principle with battery backup and deploys upon activation by local smoke detection or the building fire alarm panel. It is UL 10D–listed for fire+smoke protection. Installation was completed in just over one day. The Smoke Guard fire+smoke curtain systems installed remain concealed during normal school operations.
Selecting the Appropriate Level of Protection
Not every opening in a school requires the same level of protection. Elevator hoistways may require smoke containment only, while corridors, open commons, and areas with extensive glazing may require fire+smoke-rated curtains, depending on code requirements and building configuration.
Early coordination among the architect, fire protection engineer, Smoke Guard, and the authority having jurisdiction helps determine the appropriate system for each project.
To view the Liberty High School project profile, click here. Or contact the Smoke Guard team for more information or assistance with your next project.
Reminder: A friendly reminder that this content is provided for informational and educational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, technical specifications and supply chain conditions can change rapidly. Readers should verify all business-critical information. For additional support, please reach out to the Smoke Guard Support Team.