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Hot Topic: Knox Box Ordinance
Does your township/municipality currently have a Knox Box Ordinance?
If so, how does it seem to be working for your department?
If not, why do you not have one? Would you like to see one put into place?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dave Bauer on
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We have had a Knox Box Ordinace for 20 yrs and it serves as one of our most vital day to day tools. It allows us to access businesses and apt complexes 24 hrs a day. This is a volunteer program only. But when you inform the property owner that by possessing a Knox Box, it will prevent damage from fire crews having to force entry when they respond for alarms during non-working hours.
We also require any property that has an electrically controlled gate to provide a fire dept. access box (Medco key), for locking the gate open. Obviously this is important when you need to lay a supply line into the complex, or just to make access for medicals. This is mandated through our build code ordinance.
We (the fire dept.) are the only public safety group in our city to possess keys to access to these boxes. This does present a huge liability for the city/dept. Because if just one key is lost, then all the box cylinders must be replaced immediately.
That being said, I believe that the convenience of these boxes out gain the risk
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Permalink Reply by Rob Vest on
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We currently require all new commercial properties and apartment buildings to install Knox Boxes, as well as anytime there is a change of occupancy on an existing commercial property. When conducting pre-plans we inform the property owners of the program and they usually have a Knox Box installed.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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I don't understand how this could even be a question... I apparently was wrong in assuming that this was available everywhere. Kind of like a NFPA 704 diamond, it's just something that we have in our arsenal to help make problems go away. Not having a knox box means access problems into buildings or through locked gates. The photo above shows how we dealt with kids at the University and the Knox Boxes... We just made the requirement for installation high enough to require a ladder to get the key. I guess you could call this "outside the box thinking?
Get the ordinance implemented as soon as possible. Why make things any more difficult than you have to?
CBz
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Permalink Reply by Truckinainteasy on
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If your area has the International Fire Code you don't even need an ordinance, the AHJ can simply require them.
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Permalink Reply by Marty Hrinko on
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We do have an ordinance, most of our call volume is from our shopping district. We have numerous resturants, shopping mall, and many other stores. Any comericial structure must have a Knox Box. Most of the time if the business is not open, there will be a key-holder notified and will come to the scene. If not, that is when we will use the key.
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Reynolds on
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We have a Knox Box ordinance and it works well. We also do alot of station move-ups, stand-bys or change of quarters. As a result, the county chiefs organizations have placed a second Knox Box on their stations that contains the Knox Box key for their response areas along with gate codes etc., which we have keys secured in our apparatus to access. We have found that it is also extremely effective.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on
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Knox Box: $200 to $300
Keys for knox Box: $10 to $20
Not having to break expensive glass doors and force metal doors, causing thousands of dollars in damages: Priceless!
What I don't understand is how some FD's require the knox box to me mounted at a height that you need a ladder to get to them.
We require our Knox Boxes to be mounted at a reasonable height for easy access.
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Im guess that they put them ath that height to prevent any damage done them....makes scense I guess.
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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The County adopted the IBC for all unincorporated areas outside the city of Houston. ANY commercial, or multi-family complexes and gated subdivisions must have Knox locks. There is no option. There are very rigid requirements for placement of the box. The keys are assigned by the Fire Marshals office to all apparatus and officers.
CBz, I guess using a ladder to access the box is a California thing.
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Permalink Reply by DUST on
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My town's ordinance requires a knox box on properties of 4 units or more. It's a beach town so we have many hotels and condos. The key box must contain keys to the main entranceway, elevator rooms, utility rooms, pools and any other service areas.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on
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The problems occur when they do a key change.. for condo complexes, they change management companies and keys just about every year.. no keys... well, it brings a smile to the face of my personnel when they get to practice forcible entry....
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A few weeks ago, we responded as mutual aid to an alarm at a business not required to have a knox box. The first due officer told me that they had recommended the owner put in a knox box after previous responses but the owner had refused. Unable to get a hold of a key holder, they ended up forcing a door this time around. On my way home from work the other day I passed by the place and saw a squad outside. I slowed down to see what was up. You guessed it a knox box was being installed :)
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