Residential Lock Box Program

Lock-Box Program for Homeowners

The safety of the Olmsted Township residents and their access to emergency assistance is important to our safety forces. This is why the Olmsted Township Fire Department is providing the “Residential Lock Box Program.” A lock box is installed outside your home near the front door or near the carport to make Fire Department entry quick and easy in time of an emergency. Once the lock box is installed, the fire department will assist the homeowner with locking a spare key to your home inside the lockbox. Every piece of fire apparatus (including the ambulance) has a key that will open the lock boxes and gain access to your key. The fire department retains these keys on the apparatus in a secure manner and would use them only in the case of an emergency.

The Fire Department has made arrangements with Roper Lock Box, LLC for the purchase of metal “residential lock boxes” that have high-security access available only to the Olmsted Township Fire Department. These boxes can be purchased through the Fire Department, for $30. The fire department receives no additional revenue from the purchase of these lockboxes and installs the boxes free of charge as a service to our residents. Once installed, this information will be placed into our Emergency Database to inform us when we respond that there is a lock box there.

This program will bring many benefits to the Township and its residents. Residential assistance and welfare checks in this community account for a high volume of responses by the Fire Department. The Police Department will call the Fire Department to access your home if you have one of these lock boxes installed on it instead of forcing it. Forcing a door on your home usually results in a complete loss of the resident’s entry door, causing a lot of damage. For residents on a fixed income, this damage can be an unnecessary burden.

Benefits of the Residential Lock Box Program

• Eliminates forced entry damage to your home
• Reduces the time to gain access to your home in an emergency
• Allows both the Police and Fire Departments access into your home if no one else is available
• Provides you and your family Peace of Mind

Installation

The box should be placed near the front entrance, at approximately 4 to 5 ft. high. Lock Boxes will be anchored to the building in a suitable manner by fire department personnel.

Homes with a Residential Lock Box are noted in the City 911 Center’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) System. Once we receive your request for a lock box along with payment for it, the fire station commander or other station personnel will schedule a meeting with the owner to install and add the desired contents to the box.

Under no circumstances will any Fire Division personnel provide an owner, agent, or responsible party access to, or a key that secures any Lock Box.

Liability

The OTFD personnel have an obligation to enter private property when summoned by a fire alarm or a call for help. The fire department's mission is based on this obligation and consequently, it includes a certain level of liability. The Lock Box System does not increase fire department or local government liability. By signing up for this system, you are agreeing to allow the Olmsted Township Safety Forces access to your home in the event of an emergency.

If you have questions regarding the use of the Lock Box System, contact the OTFD at 440-235-3746 during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.

If you want to participate in this program, complete the information below and take to the fire station. The cost to participate is $30; please bring a check with this amount.