“Safety of the citizens of Morrisville and our firefighters is most important to us,” said Fire Chief John Weiss as he spoke to the Morrisville Borough Council at their June meeting about the fire department’s safety improvements including the Knox Box program.
Introduced by former fire chief and currently handling Emergency Management, Matt Wiedenhaefer, Weiss presented an update on the enhancements to fire inspections and investigations, including the Knox Box program.
Weiss said the 100% volunteer fire company respond to an average of 500 calls annually. Most important to the fire company is “the safety of the town’s citizens.” Weiss has been a member for 22 years and during the years, he has “seen his share of unsafe conditions because a proactive fire inspection program was not in place.”
In association with the Code Enforcement Officer/Fire Marshal Barry Isett, the borough has an “avenue” to lessen and possibly eliminate unsafe conditions by implementing a proactive in-person fire inspection program. The unsafe conditions are now caught and corrected during the annual fire inspections. The Fire Protection Systems, which had not been inspected in many years, are now properly maintained and certified. The emergency contacts which had not been updated in years are now current with the dispatch center and will benefit all first responders.
Morrisville Borough Fire Chief John Weiss at the June Council Meeting Credit: YouTube screengrab
The Knox Box program, a program that has been requested for decades, is now implemented. The program allows for quick entry and reduces the need to damage property. The boxes are very secure, and the fire department invested $8,000 of their own funds to “obtain key securers and software to protect the Knox Box keys from being in the wrong hands.”
Each key is locked in its own “key secure.” A key can only be removed by a member who has access to the secure and an unique code assigned to them. The software tracks all activity including who and when of the key removal.
In conclusion, Weiss spoke of multiple interactions on a weekly basis with the fire inspector and fire marshal. They update Weiss on the active enforcements and the progress of compliance and Weiss updates the officials on any found unsafe conditions. The officials then work towards restoring safety.
About Knox Box
Trusted by thousands of fire and law enforcement agencies for over 40 years, Knox Rapid Access Solutions have provided first responders with immediate access into secure buildings, campuses, residences and commercial properties when it matters most. Removing barriers to entry reduces injuries to responders and minimizes property damage. That’s the power of the Knox rapid access system, according to the Knox Box website.
Click her for more information on Knox Box.
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