For the park, see Washington Square (Philadelphia). Washington Square West is a neighborhood in downtown, or Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Electric Door Strike (image from bigasterisk.com) A better solution for door security hardware during a power outage is to use electric strikes. An electric strike is a mechanically operated strike that releases a door when the mechanical part is activated.
Also a power transfer hinge is used to get the power from the door frame to the door. Electric mortise and cylindrical locks allow mechanical free egress. Electric mortise and cylindrical locks can be either fail unlocked or fail locked.