Afraid of Equipment Theft? Want to Give City Gov't the Keys to Your Storage?

[Taxmantoo]

Cross posted from the political forum.

Cedar Falls, Iowa city council strongly supports an ordinance to require key boxes on business/rental buildings.

Everybody would be required to buy a keybox, and lots of city employees would know the code to get the keys out of the boxes. You get to put your trust in total strangers, most of whom would never dream of ripping you off. (sort of like letting a Realtor put a keybox on your door, but it would be on everybody's door, and all the keyboxes would have the same unlock code)

Notice in the youtube link, the fire chief references a 2009 international fire code. They want to do this everywhere.

With thefts of power equipment running rampant, I would never consider doing this with a tree care or lawn care business.
For myself, it would be a breach of ethics to give others access to an office with clients' financial and tax information stored there. From the last link, it looks like we'd be excused if we didn't have automated sprinklers or alarm systems.

If they truly thought it was for the benefit of property owners, they could have made it voluntary, and everybody would be lining up to participate in their wonderful program.

YouTube - City Government demands all keys to properties belonging to Cedar Falls residents.

Opposition organizes to beat key box ordinance

UPDATE: Cedar Falls City Council OKs controversial lock box ordinance

 

[tree md]

Oh yes, trust the Government with your entire livelihood... Trust the government... That's a great idea...

 

[prana360]

These boxes are called "knox boxes", usually the fire dept is the only one with keys to them for emergancy purposes. It is not an easy task even for firefighters to access them. They have to get permission from either the police, dispatch, fire chief or a superior before access can be made. Also there is a tracking system for when the keys are used. Too much info to post but they are safe and make a firefighters job easier and the damage done to your business is less given that they can use a key instead of an axe or sledge to gain access to your doors....
Just FWIW

 

[Dalmatian90]

I didn't follow the links -- usually these are "Knox Box" ordinances.

In our case keys are secured in the apparatus. They need an "officers key" inserted into the device in conjunction with a code sent by radio from the dispatcher.

Fairly common to require them for commercial occupancies with fire alarm systems -- often keyholders either have long response times, can't be found, or outright refuse to respond. Rather then forcing entry and having a police officer standby until someone shows up (or just leaving it unsecured), the Knox system lets the FD get in, confirm there's no legitimate reason for the alarm, and get out leaving the premise secure.

I haven't heard of any other agencies routinely using them -- police will usually check the perimeter and if that's secure, call it a day. That's different from FD needs where an incipient fire or sprinkler leak may not show any signs on the outside of the building.

No system is foolproof, but the Knox system does have multiple layers of control normally. Most departments implement them with some sort of two factor authentication like I outlined above. Individual occupancies have their own Knox key that just works with their box to change the keys inside as needed.

Even if someone goes to the effort to bypass the controls and gain a FD Knox key, most places that are unoccupied and have fire alarm systems will also have burglar alarm systems which will still go off (since the FD doesn't have the codes to disable the burglar alarm once they enter.)

Since you're that concerned about your equipment and files, you do have a burglar alarm that would go off even if someone with a key -- but not an alarm code -- enters? Right?

 

[Taxmantoo]

Thanks for the details.
Now I can see how the boxes would cost $200+.
I was thinking of the chinzy pushbutton things the Realtors around here use, those things can't be worth over $15 in quantity.

 

[tree md]

Sounds all fine and good to me... As long as it's voluntary...

 

[pdqdl]

I would suggest that it be a program that is tied to the alarm permit.

Right now, KC makes us pay for an alarm permit. I don't see any reason why that couldn't be tied to the use of some reliable security box. Obviously, the boxes would be helpful for alarm responses. I don't see any reason why the alarm permits couldn't come with a few strings.

Like..."if you want us to respond to interior alarms, you must have an acceptable form of access to entry for our responding officers". Then let the alarm permit holders work out "an acceptable" method.