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WeSERVE Southeast Valley Chapter Relations Manager Melissa Zwick talks to Tuesday’s demonstration attendees about the new lock box program being implemented across the state.
WeSERVE Southeast Valley Chapter Relations Manager Melissa Zwick talks to Tuesday’s demonstration attendees about the new lock box program being implemented across the state.
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SIERRA VISTA — The city will become the first in Cochise County to employ a program that would allow first responders to enter a residence without having to break a window or damage a door if a person who has called for help is unable to let firefighters or police into their house.
The ideas is a simple but highly effective one, first responders say, and it includes a lockbox with a code and the key to the person’s house inside the box. The code would be accessible only to emergency personnel, Sierra Vista fire officials said Aug. 23 at a presentation where 35 secure lockboxes were donated to the city by the Cochise County chapter of WeSERV, which stands for West and Southwest Realtors of the Valley.
Sierra Vista Fire Chief Brian Jones said having to break into someone’s house is not uncommon.
According to the website Senior Safety Advice, “Both EMTs and paramedics will break down a locked door to reach an ill or injured patient if all else fails. They have the legal authority and obligation to do so if human life is under an immediate threat.
“But destroying the door is not a first resort during medical emergencies, though. The main concern of a paramedic crew is to provide urgent medical help with minimal damage to the dwelling, if possible. So, the EMT or paramedic will look for easier access to the residence. They will try to open the garage doors or check for an open window first.
“EMTs and paramedics will only break down a door without trying those other options if they suspect that the person inside is in potential danger. In some cases, like for a stroke or heart attack, the above methods of entry, while effective, would waste too much precious time.
“This is where a medical alert lock box is invaluable,” the website says.
“We’ve been doing that ever since I’ve started here,” Jones said Tuesday, regarding firefighters having to force their way into someone’s house in an emergency. “(But) the fire department always tries to find the smallest windows.
“A program like this gives us the ability to not have to do that,” Jones added. “We just have to get in to help a person. Having a program like this where we can get into a house will help us get to the patient quicker.”
The lockboxes — the program is called the Secure Lockbox Program — were donated to Sierra Vista by WeSERV, said Shari Ward, regional vice president of the Cochise County chapter. Ward said the lockboxes are purchased in bulk and donating them is a service to the community.
Melissa Zwick, the member relations manager for WeSERV’s Southeast Valley chapter, said other cities and agencies that are using the Secure Lockbox Program include Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Peoria and the Pinal County Attorney’s Office.
Sierra Vista’s website says that The Secure Lockbox Program is primarily for elderly residents who live alone, are physically challenged or have a medical condition with a probability that it be necessary to call 911 for assistance.
“The program is designed to allow emergency services personnel to access a home in emergency situations where forced entry may be necessary,” the website says.
Once a resident receives their lockbox, it will be installed on the bib of a water hose so that the front doorknob is not compromised, officials said Tuesday. Only first responders will have the code given to them via SEACOM, the county’s 911 dispatch center. That way the homeowner can’t share it with someone who may remove the key from the lockbox, making it unavailable in the event of an emergency.
“We’ll get the information from SEACOM after someone calls 911,” Jones said. “We’ll be able to enter the residence if the person has a lock box. It’s really going to be a good program for us.”
For questions about the program and how to apply, contact Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services at 520-417-4400 or WeSERV at 520-458-7802.
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