By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A rapid entry program for businesses would allow fire fighters, police officers and emergency medical responders to enter member businesses without breaking into the facility.
Darin Howard, Nephi Fire Department Chief, and John Ford, Nephi Fire Department Equipment Officer, met with Nephi City council members to discuss the possibility of encouraging local businesses to purchase and add the Knox-Box Rapid Entry System to their businesses.
“There should be no cost for taxpayers,” said Ford. “Each business would pay the cost for purchase and installation of the box on their own business.”
The system, he said, allowed the member business to securely lock up a door key.
The Knox-Box Rapid Entry System provides non-destructive emergency access to commercial and residential property. More than 9,000 fire departments and government agencies use Knox key boxes (keybox, keyboxes), vaults, cabinets, key switches, padlocks, locking FDC plugs and electronic key retention units for safe and secure rapid entry.
Business owners lock their own door key inside the Knox-Box, the door is then locked by the fire department using a unique and secure key. The key to the locked box is then kept inside the fire engine.
When a fire occurs, the fire fighters arrive at the scene, retrieve the key to the business by unlocking the secure Knox-Box. They then use the business-owned key to enter the building without the need to physically break into the building.
“The key the fire department uses to unlock the Knox-Box is a key that is unique to the district,” said Ford.
He said that the fire department was asking the council for an ordinance requiring community businesses to purchase and install a Knox-Box. The ordinance could require all new construction to install the box before opening. It could also require that all exisiting businesses where occupancy was changed be required to install the Knox-Box.
“By attrition, all buildings would eventually have a Knox-Box,” Ford said.
The devices would cost a business owner from $255 to $345. When compared with what it would cost to repair the damage caused by fire fighters breaking in, he said, it was a small amount.
Ford said that the devices had been approved by the Fire District.
“The cost could be added to the cost of getting a building permit,” said Ford.
However, Mark Jones, mayor, said he did not think that was a good idea since the city was often “beat up” over the cost of a city building permit. It would be better if business owners would volunteer to have the Knox-Box rather than being mandated to have one, he said, as part of a building permit.
Randy McKnight, city administrator, said that there would be one way to require the Knox-Box on all new construction without charging a fee. The solution was simple: require that the device be added to the city’s building standards. That way, the contractor would install the Knox-Box as part of the building code.
If it is part of the contractor’s responsibility, the city would not be involved in the installation.
“We could add it to the fire code requirement,” said Brent Bowles, city council member.
Howard said that, if one door was broken by firefighters trying to enter a building, it would be obvious that having a Knox-Box would save a business owner quite a bit of money. The savings would represent the cost of the damage over the cost of the device. That alone would make it wise to have the device.
Ford was a fire fighter in a department in the San Francisco Bay area for more than 30 years as a member of an engine and ladder company and then as manager of a ladder company. When the devices were used in that area, he said, merchants noted a substantial savings in not having to repair forced business entries.
The unique fire department key would be available only to the top officers of the fire department. If the police department became part of the program, the chief would need to determine which officers would have access to the unique master key. The same would be true if private homes wanted to participate in the program and allow emergency personnel to have access.
Because of the need to protect the property owners, only certain leaders of the departments could be allowed access.
“Our members are people of integrity,” said Howard.
