NEBRASKA CITY 

On behalf of the Knox Box Company, The Nebraska City Fire Department would like to take a moment to explain the benefits of this program and how it would make the working relationship between our fire department and you, the property owner, more effective. Below we will explain the premise behind the program and hopefully answer any questions you may have. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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What is a Knox box?

The Knox Box rapid entry system is a small wall-mounted safe that holds contents like keys and entry cards or codes that the property owner wants to remain secure but accessible to fire and ems personnel.

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Why install a Knox box?

There is nothing worse than being woken up at 3 AM to a phone call about alarm activations at a property you own. You are then forced to leave your house for an unknown amount of time only to bring a set of keys for the fire department to access the building and reset the alarm. The contents of the Knox box give fire and ems personnel a quick, safe, and non-destructive way of accessing the property you own. This prevents time lost for the personnel on scene waiting for a key holder; it prevents you, the property owner, from having to leave your home at an inconvenient time, and also could potentially save you significant costs for damages to entryways if it were necessary to force into the building.

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How does the Knox Box system work?

Across the county, fire department apparatus carry a key retention box. This box holds the Knox key that gives them access to your Knox box. The key retention box is an electronic box that can be opened only two ways: either requested through the 911 center or by the officer in charge who must enter a specific entry code. When the key is removed, an internal computer system logs the date and exact time of when the key was removed and when it was returned.

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Is it safe?

It is absolutely safe and the most secure system on the market. Fire companies have stopped carrying keys on apparatus for buildings throughout each of their respective first dues because the keys were unsecure and the key rings became unmanageable. With a singular keyed system, we access the box that you own and you control the content of that box. Currently there are multiple users of the Knox box system which include the following (to name a few):

• American National Bank

•Fareway 

• Kregel Windmill Museum 

• Lourdes High School

 

Where are they mounted?

This is optional and certainly at your discretion. We recommend they be mounted somewhere fixed and visible. The boxes come with reflective striping that helps us identify them at night; however, it is best they are located near the main entrance and somewhere that is quickly visible. We maintain an electronic database on all our apparatus where we maintain all Knox box locations and any other pertinent information for that box.

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What do I put in them?

Again, this is something at your discretion; however, remember that the purpose of this box is to provide public safety fast, effective, and easy access into your facility during an emergency. We recommend your content be user-friendly during normal conditions and in the event power is lost. In other words, proximity cards may not work when power is lost to the facility so keys typically tend to be the first choice.

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What’s the cost to me?

The box we recommend is part of the Knox Box 3200 series. Model 3200 comes at a cost of $459.00. The box can hold up to 10 keys and include a tamper switch that can be wired to an alarm security system. If you are a property owner of a property with multiple tenants or buildings, one box will be sufficient. Since the sticker price of these boxes tends to alarm people, remember the system we are proposing and the simplicity you will be creating for yourself.

 

Sign me up, where do I begin?         

The Nebraska City Fire Department manages the entire system. You can contact the department at 402-873-3579 To order, go directly online to knoxbox.com and search Nebraska City Fire Rescue under the buy now tab. We have also attached a direct link address that you may use:

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 https://www.knoxbox.com/How-to-Buy/Knox-Direct

 

Once the box arrives, you will be contacted to set up a meeting time and date. The box will be mounted at the location of your choice and the contents will be secured at that time. If at any point you need to change the contents, simply contact the Nebraska City Fire Department and we will meet you to exchange the contents of that box. Thank you for taking the time to read through this and consider our request. Our goal is to work in partnership with you and do so with efficiency. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.