Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Finance and Management Director to issue a purchase order for the purchase of ninety-one (91) key secure units and related supplies for the Division of Fire from Knox Associates. There is a need within the Division of Fire to purchase key secure units ("Knox Boxes") for use in its first response operations, in order to safeguard life, property, and public welfare. Emergency responders must be able to rapidly access locked or restricted areas; a lack of rapid access may result in substantial property damage due to fire extension and forced entry, increased danger to occupants and fire fighters, or an increased risk of injury or death due to a delay in the administration of emergency medical services. The Knox Box Key Retention products are self-contained units that retain a master key in each fire emergency vehicle without dependence on a radio release signal from dispatch, which decreases on-scene time awaiting the arrival of a key holder to allow entry into buildings for mitigation purposes and reduces liability for lost keys. The Knox Box key retention system is currently in use on the Division of Fire apparatus. These key secure units will only work with the Knox key which restricts use to authorized Division of Fire members while also providing full tracking and audit of rapid key usage. Many business and building owners, within the City of Columbus utilize the Knox box retention system on their buildings, and have voluntarily selected to provide rapid key entry to their property to the Columbus Division of Fire in case of fire or medical emergency. The purchase of these key secure units from Knox Associates will increase the number of businesses and building owners providing rapid key entry, and will supplant what the Division of Fire currently uses.
The Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire requests and recommends the purchase of ninety-one (91) key secure units ("Knox Boxes") and relat...
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