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Panic bar door hardware can be fire rated or non-fire rated.  The final determination as to if you need a fire rated or non-fire rated panic bar is determined by your local fire marshal and building inspectors.A fire rated exit device cannot be locked open at any time.  It must always positively latch every time the door closes. The latch mechanism must also withstand higher temperatures that would occur during a fire and still remain latched.  A non-fire rated panic bar door hardware has what is known as a dog down feature.  This allows the door to be put into an unlocked mode by depressing the device and retracting the latch. Single doors use what is called a rim device which latches against the door frame approximately 40 inches up from the bottom of the door.  Double doors most often use what is called vertical rod exit bar.  This provides latching at the top and bottom of the door.