The purpose of this article is to encourage the owners of certain structures within the Township of Shippensburg to have a key box installed at the entrance of the structures 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.
[Adopted 2-7-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-02]
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Knox-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:
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 or EMS personnel are expected to respond.
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.
Appointed by the Township.
All members and equipment of the various fire, rescue and ambulance services.
A fire.
An emergency involving the health of a person or persons.
Any person, group, firm, partnership, association, company, corporation or organization of any kind.
That which is built or constructed or any portion thereof.
The Township of Shippensburg, Cumberland County
All 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, should be equipped with a Knox-Box® at or near the main entrance and/or in such other location required and approved by the Township Fire Chief. Single-family residential dwellings having independent means of ingress or egress shall be exempt front this requirement.
Any remodeling or construction of an existing building or any new occupants of the existing building must install a Knox-Box®. This includes everything in § 199-23.
A.
The Knox-Box® shall be UL-approved type and approved by the Township Fire Chief. The Knox-Box® will 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:
B.
The owner shall not be able to obtain a key to the Knox-Box®.
The Knox-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 or his/her designee. Flush-mounted or surface-recessed Knox-Box® installations will be permitted, provided that the Knox-Box® is clearly marked. Once the Knox-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® shall contain at least two master keys/card swipe/or numbers, if coded, to locked doors or entrances, whether on the interior or exterior of the structure.
The owner of the structure having a Knox-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®. All required paperwork must be given by the owner to the Township Fire Chief for security reasons.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person violating any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof 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 sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 for each violation plus costs of prosecution, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees, or, upon default of payment of fines, costs and/or restitution, by imprisonment for a period not to exceed 30 days. Each day upon which a violation exists shall constitute a new and separate violation of this article.