Spring Break
Charleston considers requiring lock boxes
Keys would provide firefighters access to building
Joe Astrouski/City Editor
Issue date: 1/13/09 Section: News
A proposed ordinance before the Charleston City Council would require owners of some apartment buildings and businesses to install emergency lock boxes near the entrances to their buildings.
Each lock box would hold a building key and could be opened by the fire department with a master key.
The measure is designed to reduce the time firefighters spend entering buildings, said Fire Chief Kris Phipps, whose department proposed the measure.
"It's to free up the fire personnel from having to wait for a key-holder," Phipps said. "That helps us prevent further (fire) damage…and helps with evacuation."
Under the proposed ordinance, any apartment complex with at least four units sharing a common space would have to install a lock box at the common room door, Phipps said.
The ordinance would also require businesses with fire alarm systems to install lock boxes, he said.
"Any business with an alarm system that dials directly to the fire department would have to put in a lock box," Phipps said.
Phipps also said that, in cases where businesses lease their buildings, the landlord, not the business owner, would be responsible for installing the lock boxes.
The city council is set to vote on the measure at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave.
Joe Astrouski can be reached at 581-7945 or at jmastrouski@eiu.edu.
Each lock box would hold a building key and could be opened by the fire department with a master key.
The measure is designed to reduce the time firefighters spend entering buildings, said Fire Chief Kris Phipps, whose department proposed the measure.
"It's to free up the fire personnel from having to wait for a key-holder," Phipps said. "That helps us prevent further (fire) damage…and helps with evacuation."
Under the proposed ordinance, any apartment complex with at least four units sharing a common space would have to install a lock box at the common room door, Phipps said.
The ordinance would also require businesses with fire alarm systems to install lock boxes, he said.
"Any business with an alarm system that dials directly to the fire department would have to put in a lock box," Phipps said.
Phipps also said that, in cases where businesses lease their buildings, the landlord, not the business owner, would be responsible for installing the lock boxes.
The city council is set to vote on the measure at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave.
Joe Astrouski can be reached at 581-7945 or at jmastrouski@eiu.edu.
The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.
Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.
Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.
If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment on this story