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08/26/2024 02:52 PMESSEX
The Knox Box program which was newly implemented by the Essex Fire Department has proven to be a success after just two weeks in operation, according to Fire Marshal John Planas.
The ARPA-funded program is receiving more requests by residents to have the Knox Box devices installed at their homes in order to provide enhanced security, as well as safe and cost-effective entrance by Essex public safety personnel in the case of an emergency.
There is a key inside every Knox Box which can be used to open the doors of a residence in the case of an emergency, thereby providing access to public safety officials in case a homeowner is away from their residence or is unable to reach their front door.
A residential Knox Box is opened by the fire department via an electronic fob, making for a more secure practice as opposed to a regular metal key, said Planas.
“This fob is located in each of the fire trucks, and it’s inside of a special device that locks it and it also charges it,” he said.
Personnel will enter in the department code, which can open a residential Knox Box, thus gaining access to the key inside. This establishes a “chain of custody” between the town and residents and is “something that I felt was important,” said Planas.
Planas said the program should prove to be a cost-saving measure for both residents and the fire department. In situations such as a smoke detector going off or when someone is experiencing a medical emergency and cannot reach their door, the keys within a Knox Box gain public safety personnel “rapid access,” rather than breaking down the door, he said.
The latter solution to entrance could cost homeowners thousands of dollars in repair.
“We want them to feel secure, knowing that we're not going to cause more damage mitigating a situation,” said Planas.
Along with requests from Essex homeowners, Planas said that seasonal homeowners are also requesting an extra layer of security for their non-permanent residences. All their devices are part of an “electronic tracking system that enhances security even further,” according to Planas. Every time a residential Knox Box is opened, that information is transmitted back to a database with a point on every device in town.
The fire department can keep even greater track of devices and their owners through a recently initiated program called Community Connect. The program allows for Essex residents to register their homes and input important information on it and their occupants. This may include if an occupant is someone who might be in need of additional assistance for age- and/or medical-related reasons—something which can be helpful for first responders before attending to an emergency. They can also upload a photo and information on their household pets, said Planas.
“It also gives the homeowner an opportunity to put in important and vital information such as, ‘Do you have a propane tank on your property? Where is it located? Where's your water shut off? Where's your electric shut off?’”said Planas. “This, coupled together with this home Knox Box, it really makes it a really good program for people to take part of.”
One of the department’s goals is to see the Knox Box program and tracking system adopted by other towns on the shoreline, potentially bolstering emergency services across municipalities. Planas said that if a town like Deep River or Old Saybrook was integrated into the system and Essex fire personnel was called in to provide mutual aid in that town, then the department would “have the ability to open boxes in those districts, as well.”
Planas illustrated a corresponding scenario for the Valley Courier.
“Old Saybrook is out fighting a fire. They have all of their apparatus working on this fire. They call us in to come cover their town. While we're there, let's say we get a fire alarm. We go to a fire alarm, we can't get in the building because we don't have the mechanical key. But this system allows for cross sharing of municipalities, so that we have the opportunity to use our key to get into the Old Saybrook boxes,” Planas said.
Planas pointed to posts on Facebook from people in Deep River and Chester about seeing their towns acquire the technology as a sign of greater public interest in the technology.
A Knoxbox costs $300. To acquire one, contact Planas at 860-767-4340, ext. 146. To join the Community Connect Program, visit www.communityconnect.io/info/ct-townofessex.