[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Southampton as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-22-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-1]
A. 
Whereas, the Southampton Township Board of Supervisors, pursuant to 53 P.S. § 66517, May 1, 1933, P.L. 103, No. 69, Section 1517, added November 9, 1995, P.L. 350, No. 60, Section 1, has the authority to enact and enforce ordinances relating to occupation and maintenance of buildings within the Township.
B. 
Whereas, the Southampton Township Board of Supervisors believes that it is in the best interest of citizens to require the installation of a key box in certain structures that are secured in a manner that restricts access during a fire emergency.
C. 
Be it ordained by the Southampton Township Supervisors of Southampton Township, Cumberland County, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same as follows:
The purpose of this article is to require that certain structures within the Township of Southampton have a key box installed at the entrance of the structure to enable members of the fire, rescue and ambulance services to gain access to the structures when responding to an emergency without the use of force.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Key Box Ordinance."
As used in this article, the following words, terms and phrases shall have the meaning herein ascribed thereto unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
AUTOMATIC DETECTION SYSTEM
Any engineered system, device, equipment, mechanical, electrical or battery-operated arrangement to activate an alarm or signal of the occurrence of a fire, hazard or medical emergency, requiring urgent attention and to which fire units of EMS personnel are expected to respond.
AUTOMATIC SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
An engineered system that automatically detects a fire, activates an alarm and suppresses a fire by application of an extinguishing agent through fixed piping and nozzles.
FIRE CHIEF
Appointed by the Township.
FIRE COMPANIES
All members and equipment of the various fire, rescue and ambulance services.
FIRE EMERGENCY
A fire.
KEY BOX
A safety lock box approved by the Township Fire Chief and meeting the requirements set forth in § 161-7 below.
KNOX BOX
A safety lock box manufactured by Knox-Box®or otherwise approved by the Township Fire Chief and meeting the requirements set forth in § 161-7 below.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
An emergency involving the health of a person or persons.
PERSON
Any person, group, firm, partnership, association, company, corporation or organization of any kind.
STRUCTURE
That which is built or constructed or any portion thereof.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Southampton, Cumberland.
A. 
All new structures within the Township having an automatic detection system and/or an automatic suppression system that are secured in a manner that restricts access during a fire emergency, including but not limited to multifamily residential structures which have limited access through a locked door or have a common corridor for access to the living units, governmental structures, health care facilities, schools, churches, commercial buildings and manufacturing facilities, shall be equipped by the owner(s), at the owner's expense, with a Knox-Box® or approved key box at or near the main entrance and or in such other location required and approved by the Township Fire Chief.
B. 
Single-family residential dwellings having independent means of ingress or egress shall be exempt from this requirement.
Any remodeling or construction of existing buildings or any new occupant of the existing building to which § 161-5 applies must install a Knox-Box® or approved key box.
A. 
The Knox-Box® or key box shall be UL-approved-type and approved by the Township Fire Chief. The system must be compatible with the systems of the Fire Company and Cumberland County. It shall be equipped with a lock which can only be opened with a key that is equipped on the emergency vehicles and that this key is held in a special security device. There are two ways that this box can be opened:
(1) 
If the Fire Department is there on an emergency call;
(2) 
If the owner needs to change keys, then arrangements must be made with the Township Fire Chief, the owner and County Control.
B. 
The owner shall not be able to obtain a key to the box.
The Knox-Box® or approved key box shall be mounted in the structure entrance at a height of between four and six feet and within three feet of the direct access door or such other location that is approved by the Township Fire Chief. Flush mounted or surface recessed box installations will be permitted, provided that the box is clearly marked. Once the box is installed, the owner of the structure shall contact the Township Fire Chief to make arrangements to inspect the box and install the access keys.
The Knox-Box® or key box shall contain at least two master keys/card swipe/list of numbers if coded, to all locked doors or entrances, whether on the interior or exterior of the structure.
The owner of the structure having a Knox-Box® or key box shall provide a list of contact persons indicating names, home addresses, and telephone numbers to the Township Fire Chief. The owner shall immediately upon any changes with respect thereto furnish the Township Fire Chief such information with respect to such changes.
The owner must purchase and install the Knox-Box® or key box. All required paperwork must be given to the owner by the Township Fire Chief. This is for security reasons.
A. 
In the event a violation of this article occurs, in addition to such other remedies as may be available under existing law, the Township may institute an action in equity to prevent, restrain, correct, abate, or enjoin such a violation.
B. 
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a Magisterial District Judge under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this article that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The provisions of this article shall be severable, and if any provision hereof shall be declared unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of any of the remaining provisions of this article. It is hereby declared as the legislative intent of the Township that this article would have been amended as if such unconstitutional, illegal or invalid provision or provisions had not been included herein.