[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Halfmoon 4-6-2004 by L.L. No. 4-2004; amended in its entirety 10-18-2023 by L.L. No. 7-2023. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
The Town of Halfmoon has recognized the importance of providing the Town's emergency services rapid entry into locked buildings where access to or within a structure or an area is restricted because of secured openings or where immediate access is necessary for lifesaving or firefighting purposes as further recognized in Section 506 of the Fire Code of New York State. A key box emergency access system local law provides for the placement in secured, locked containers of keys to important areas within a structure and information that may be vital and necessary to the health, safety and welfare of the occupants and responding emergency crews. The Town of Halfmoon hereby recognizes that the delay in gaining entry can result in substantial property damage, delays in providing lifesaving or other medical procedures and increased danger for emergency services personnel and the building occupants. Knowledge of the location of hazardous or potentially hazardous materials will also enhance the emergency services personnel's ability to preserve and protect lives and property. To assist the emergency service providers in gaining rapid entry, and thereby increase the safety, health and well-being of the citizens of the Town of Halfmoon and emergency personnel, the Town of Halfmoon hereby adopts the "Key Box Emergency Access Systems Local Law."
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AUTOMATIC FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
A system or assembly of piping, valves, controls and sprinklers which are designed and installed to comply with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, which utilize water, foam, carbon dioxide or other gas to automatically react to and suppress fire.
EMERGENCY ALARM
Any device designed to alert police, fire or emergency medical personnel to an emergency condition requiring attention and to which police, fire or emergency medical service units are expected to respond. This definition shall include alarms that terminate at an answering service, as well as those that emit an audible or visible signal.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm signal from an emergency alarm or notification by an emergency alarm answering service which calls for an emergency response from law enforcement, fire services or emergency medical services where an emergency situation does not in fact exist. The term "false alarm" shall not include an alarm signal caused by testing or repairing of telephone or electrical lines or equipment outside of the premises, an attempted illegal entry of which there is visible evidence, violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm user or alarm supplier.
KEY BOX
A high security key vault of UL type approved by the Town of Halfmoon Office of Code Enforcement. Locks shall be keyed to the key configuration provided by the Town of Halfmoon. Such vaults shall have weatherproof gaskets, shall have a covered lock opening and shall be highly resistant to drilling or vandalism.
OFFICE OF CODE ENFORCEMENT
Town of Halfmoon Code Enforcement Office, Halfmoon, New York 12065.
This chapter shall be applicable to:
A. 
All buildings located within the Town of Halfmoon having an automatic fire alarm system or a fire sprinkler system, which shall be equipped with key boxes and/or key box document vaults.
B. 
Any building having three or more false alarms within a six-month period.
C. 
Any building that requires immediate emergency access because of special conditions or hazards as determined by the Code Enforcement Office.
D. 
Any residences within multiple dwelling residential structures, including but not limited to apartments, condominiums and other multifamily residential units that utilized securitized common access areas.
One- and two-family dwellings and buildings having a twenty-four-hour, seven-day-per-week guard system shall be specifically exempted from the requirements for a key box.
A. 
The key boxes shall be installed on the front of the building, near the main entry door and at five feet above the ground, unless approved for another location or at a higher or lower level by the Code Enforcement Office. That office must approve all installations.
B. 
Keys within the lock boxes shall be labeled for easy identification either by tenant name or indexed to the floor plan of the building and shall be kept current.
C. 
The key boxes shall contain the following:
(1) 
Unless otherwise agreed upon with the Fire Chief and/or EMS Official, key(s) or any other lock-opening device for the exterior doors, the keys and any other lock-opening device for all the interior doors identified in Subsection C(2) to (5) below within the building, and a scaled floor plan of the building.
(2) 
Keys or lock-opening devices to locked mechanical equipment and sprinkler control rooms.
(3) 
Keys or lock-opening devices to locked electrical rooms or panels or fire alarm control panels.
(4) 
Keys or lock-opening devices to locked elevator rooms or controls, and elevator keys, if required.
(5) 
Keys or lock-opening devices to other areas as directed by the Office of Code Enforcement.
(6) 
Access codes to digital keypads, including but not limited to digital fire alarm keypads.
(7) 
Other pertinent data as directed by the Town of Halfmoon Office of Code Enforcement, Fire Chief or EMS Official.
D. 
The Office of Code Enforcement shall have discretion regarding the color of the key box so as to enable quick and easy identification of the key boxes.
A. 
All existing buildings covered by this chapter shall comply within 12 months of the effective date of this chapter.
B. 
All new construction, including buildings currently under construction as of the effective date for which no certificate of occupancy has been issued, shall comply immediately.
Any person who shall fail to comply with any of the applicable provisions of this chapter or any lawful order, notice, directive, permit or certificate of the Office of Code Enforcement or of the Town of Halfmoon Building Department made hereunder shall be punishable by a fine of $250 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or both. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
The Office of Code Enforcement and the Town of Halfmoon Building Department shall administer the provisions of this chapter. The Office of Code Enforcement and the Building/Zoning Department of the Town of Halfmoon shall enforce the provisions.