SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — A new at-home safety program is making an impact in Cochise County. Sierra Vista Fire and Medical Services teamed up with West and SouthEast REALTORS of the Valley (WeSERV) to ensure that community members never have to worry about emergency personnel struggling to make entry into their home during an emergency situation.
The secure lock box program is primarily for older residents who may live alone or have a physical or medical condition who at some point may need to call 911.
This program will allow for emergency services to get inside if you are unable to let them in your home, where forced entry may be necessary.
“Once we arrive on scene, we determine whether there is an actual emergency and we need to make entry, we can access the lockbox, get the key out and then make entry into the house without having to break windows or doors," said Scott Borgstadt, Police Officer at City of Sierra Vista.
Sierra Vista Fire and Medical Services say that this is not just an extra convenient safety measure but a cost effective one too.
The majority of the time when emergency services get there and the resident can't let them in, emergency services have to break windows and doors which can result in the resident having to pay for those damages out of pocket.
Once you fill out an application online or in-person, the free lockbox is delivered as soon as that same day. Only emergency personnel have access to the lockbox combination once they are dispatched to your home, not even the homeowner will be able to unlock it.
"The resident that gets the lockbox doesn't know the code either. So once we have the application and we know where the residence is we can go in and fix it on there hose or a fixation outside that allows us to put it there and we're ready to rock," said Brian Jones, Fire Chief for Sierra Vista Fire and Medical Services.
Sierra Vista Fire and Medical Services have already distributed about 30 lock boxes but are hoping more Cochise County community members take advantage of this free safety feature.
For more information or to apply for a free lockbox, click here.
——-
Brooke Chau is a reporter for KGUN 9. She was a part of Fresno State's newscast, Fresno State Focus and interned at KFSN-ABC30 in Fresno, CA before coming to KGUN 9. Share your story ideas and important issues with Brooke by emailing brooke.chau@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
