Key box solution reached

Council and committee members come to agreement on law

Thursday, November 11, 2010

— After much discussion, council members and committee members attending a joint meeting of the Fire and Safety Committees may have come up with a solution to the key box ordinance issue which is pleasing to all parties.

Concerned for public safety and the safety of firefighters, some committee members spoke in favor of the existing city ordinance which requires all owners of commercial properties to install approved key boxes on their buildings by May 1, 2011. Of special concern were those business structures with sprinkler systems or fire alarms because firefighters responding to calls when the sprinklers or fire alarms go off would have to wait for a key holder to arrive and let them into the building if smoke or flames were not visible when they arrived. The wait time, if a fire is burning in the ceiling or under the floor makes it all the more dangerous to enter the building as time elapses and the fire destroys more of the supporting structure.

Others were concerned that the city of Gentry was going too far in imposing such a requirement on all owners of business properties, and especially on owners of existing business structures which have been heretofore without key boxes.

Though some property owners voiced worries about hanging a key to their business outside their structures, the real issue for most was not over the security of the key but over the city making mandatory the purchase and installation of the boxes at the owner’s expense.

Gentry fire chief and fire marshal Vester Cripps showed committee members the key boxes, with heavy steel frame and door, and how the access key to the boxes is kept securely on department trucks and all access to the key is controlled and logged.

The existing ordinance, passed in 2006, requires approved key boxes on all commercial structures with sprinkler or alarm systems, all new commercial buildings and all building remodels which amount to 25 percent or more of the building’s replacement cost, and all commercial structures by May 2011.

The committees’ compromise solution would drop all requirements forexisting commercial structures unless required by the fire marshal under state code, but it would require the key boxes on all newly constructed commercial buildings and on all buildings which have fire alarms or a sprinkler system.

The compromise solution would meet the largest safety concerns by requiring the key boxes on all buildings with sprinklers or alarms, and on all new construction. In addition, state law already authorizes the fire marshal to require the boxes on buildings he deems to have unique circumstances making the key boxes an important tool for the safety of firefighters or the general public. Yet, it would not require the boxes for most existing business owners but leave it up the property owners’ discretion.

The committee solution will be forwarded to the city attorney so that he can draft a new ordinance to be considered by the council at its next meeting.

News, Pages 8 on 11/10/2010