At the Sept. 6 agenda session, Deputy Chief Broderick Fleming showed the City Council the Knox Box, a device that can hold keys and will be opened remotely by an electronic code from the Central Avenue firehouse. It will be required for buildings with more than four residential units, with amendments to the city's fire prevention fire code ordinance passed Monday. Final passage will take place in October and owners will have six months to purchase the $200 devices.
Fleming said Fire Division personnel is down by 30 percent and the Knox Box will eliminate waiting for a key holder.
The amendments call for a Knox Box on every commercial and industrial building and every one with four or more residential units.
At the Sept. 6 agenda-fixing session, Fleming passed around the council table an example of the heavy metal box that will hold keys for inside or outside doors, mechanical and elevator rooms, fences or secured areas or any other area that may require emergency access. The box will also include a card with a minimum of two emergency numbers for the premises.
Owners will have six months from the time of final passage of the new rules to obtain and install the Knox Box. The Fire Division must then be provided with keys any time locks are changed.
(Regarding the emergency numbers, multi-family residents should be able to see a state-required notice with two emergency numbers posted by the landlord in their building. See the Truth in Renting guide.)
--Bernice
long long overdue - we are finally catching up to fire code
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