Ahvenisjärvi School installs 59 locking emergency cabinets to seal classrooms

Aamulehti reports that Ahvenisjärvi School in Tampere is installing 59 security cabinets designed to prevent outside intruders from entering classrooms. They cost €750 each, bringing the total order to €44,250. The purchase follows the school's opening this August and a recent city safety review that led to new cupboard beds for daycare centres, part of wider local efforts to improve facilities.

The idea began when former principal Joel Linna built a prototype after noticing emergency supplies were scattered and hard to find. Linna later formed Säppi oy; he said the company has sold several hundred cabinets to new daycares and schools. Early units delivered to Olkahinen and Koivisto schools lacked a door security latch. That latch has since been added, and is designed to keep a classroom sealed even against keys.

Each cabinet includes an evacuation tag to mark rooms as empty or checked, an LED light and a headlamp for power cuts, and a high-visibility vest labeled with the room number. They also contain first aid supplies, emergency instructions, a site map and meeting-point information.

City officials said they could not find similar cabinets locally.