Police, Fire & EMS personnel frequently respond to emergency calls involving elderly and handicapped individuals who activate their medical alert devices or call for assistance. There are times when the person in need of assistance is not physically able to open the door in able to allow first responders entry into the home. As it is today, our only options are to wait for a key holder to respond and unlock a door; sometimes we have to resort to searching for an open window to climb through; or as a last resort, force our way into a home in order to provide assistance to the person in need. This current practice takes valuable time away from emergency personnel and could cause costly damage to the property.
Residents could opt to purchase a KnoxBox® which is installed on the exterior of their home. A key to the home is secured in the KnoxBox®. The Fire Department is provided with a master key to open the box; however, the KnoxBox® is rather costly at approximately $300.00 per unit.
Another option for residents is to obtain a real estate Lock Box. The Lock Box is sturdy and secures enough that real estate agents utilize these devices to store a client’s keys. The box is usually affixed to the entry door and is opened by a numerical or alphabetical code. This code would be kept at Police/Fire Headquarters. The typical Lock Box costs approximately $30.00 which is much less expensive than the traditional KnoxBox®.
Several real estate brokers and local businesses have donated lock boxes to this program. Although we have received donations; we will need many more to meet the needs of this community. The Bristol Police Department is fully committed to providing assistance in installing these boxes. It is our intention to provide the citizens of Bristol, especially the elderly and handicapped with the best possible service that we can provide, and believe that this is one more tool that we can use to achieve that.
For more information, or to request a lock box, please call the Bristol Police Department at 401-253-6900.
Lock Box Benefits
- Secure weatherproof device.
- The confidential locking code will be kept on file at the Police Department and is known only by police officers responding to that location.
- Allows for quick access to a loved one in need.
- Every lock box will have its own code, no two boxes will have the same code.
- Stops property damage to doors and windows from being breached.