Knox Home Box Program
When seconds count, whether it is a medical emergency, fire alarm, or your family member is unable to come to the door due to injury or illness, something as simple as a locked door can be the difference.
How does it work?
When the Elderville Lakeport VFD responds to emergencies, we carry a “Knox Key” which allows us as the fire department to quickly and securely gain access to a residence or property using a Knox Home Box, Knox Lock, or Knox Key Switch. By purchasing a Knox Home Box for you or your loved ones home, there is always a key available for the fire department to quickly gain access to your home in case of emergency without damaging the property.
What is Knox Home Box?
When a homeowner purchases a Knox Home Box, the Knox company ships a key box to the address that you specify. The Knox Home Box can be ordered in a variety of different configurations such as door hanger or wall mount and even in different colors to meet your needs.
Once the Knox Home Box is received the device is then mounted to the wall or door, depending on the configuration. The resident then calls the fire department to come and lock the door key in the knox box using our department Knox Key.
Who is the Knox Home Box for?
The Knox Home Box is a good investment for anyone who owns a home. In the event of an emergency such as a fire alarm, the fire department can use our key to investigate the source of the alarm while you are away. Ensuring no damage is done to make entry, and speeding up the investigation.
The Knox Home Box can provide peace of mind for the elderly or anyone who could be too weak to answer the door in the event of a medical emergency. The Elderville Lakeport VFD often responds with the Emergency Medical Service to help with patient care. When a person dials 911 or presses their medical alert button but is too weak or unable to answer the door, it can delay responders and crucial time is spent trying to force entry into the home which could unfortunately cost the homeowner hundreds of dollars or more to repair the damage.
Is it secure?
The Knox Home Box is very sturdy and made of metal, when mounted properly, the effort to remove the knox home box, and break the knox home box open to obtain the door key from inside would typically require more effort than breaking into the residence in a more traditional way such as breaking the glass or forcing the door open.
Can the fire department enter my home at any time?
The department will not use your Knox Home Box unless we are called to the location for an emergency.
The Elderville Lakeport VFD takes your privacy and security very seriously. Our Knox Keys are securely stored in a device called a KeySecure. The Key Secure unit is a sturdy device that Holds the Knox Key safely in a lock until it is needed.
In order to access the Knox Key our members must enter a unique code that is unique to the member. The date/time that the key is accessed, date/time returned and who accessed the key is then recorded by the device and that information can be downloaded for review. This ensures that tight control of the Knox Key is kept and no unauthorized access is made.
All of our members must pass a criminal history background check and drug test prior to joining the department.