Knox Boxes now required for all new, renovated business in Owensboro

February 5, 2020 | 12:10 am

Updated February 5, 2020 | 7:09 am

Knox Boxes are an item most people have never heard of but, according to officials with the Owensboro Fire Department, these metal boxes are required for any new or renovated businesses within City limits.

These small metal boxes are designed as key holders that are placed on the outside of brick-and-mortar buildings. Unnoticed by most people, OFD Chief James Howard told City Commissioners Tuesday they are hugely important for the City’s fire department.

If a fire were to break out inside a business, the Knox Box gives OFD a way to get inside without having to break down the door. Howard said the Knox Box can hold keys to the front entrance, key cards that can be swiped, keys to a utility room and more.

Local fire departments can hold master keys to all boxes in their response area so they can quickly enter a building without having to force entry or find individual keys.

“Even though it’s a security measure, it’s a luxury,” Howard said. “Most doors cost more to replace [than the box costs]. Every jurisdiction has their own key.”

City Commissioner Larry Conder said the requirement for Knox Boxes on small businesses were another example of governmental blockades on already struggling brick-and-mortar stores.

Conder said he received a call Monday from a prospective tenant who’d been working for months to open her business on 2nd St. After going through an extensive inspection process and receiving her license to sell alcohol, the tenant had plans to open this weekend.

The last thing the tenant underwent was the fire inspection, nearly causing the business to postpone its scheduled opening when OFD could not find the required Knox Box, Conder said.

“We need to make sure people understand this is a requirement for small businesses,” Conder said. “Brick-and-mortars struggle way too much today, given e-commerce and everything that’s going on with online shopping. This is just one of those little layers that happen at the end of trying to get a business open, and the government gets in the way.”

Howard said he understood the frustration from others, explaining that OFD follows the state’s most current adopted fire code, which was written in 2012.

The Knox Boxes run anywhere from $300-$500, depending which version a business owner, renter or residential homeowner chooses.

“It’s hard for a lot of [new businesses] to budget for this, and I understand that,” he said.

There are existing businesses without a Knox Box, Howard said, but anyone leasing, purchasing or renovating a small business in the City must have one before opening, he said. The Knox Box can hang over the front door, almost like a wreath, or they can be installed by a contractor.

Conder said his tenant lucked out after OFD discovered a Knox Box on the back end of the building. That Knox Box contained keys for each business and dwelling at that property, he said.

OFD asks that Knox Boxes be kept at eye-level and near the front door so that firefighters can find them when responding to a fire. Residential homes are not required to have Knox Boxes, but Howard said OFD encourages homeowners to purchase them as well.

Those interested in receiving a Knox Box can visit the OFD fire station at 512 W. 9th St. or visit knoxbox.com, Howard said. It takes at least a week to have the Knox Box verified and approved.

February 5, 2020 | 12:10 am

Share this Article

Other articles you may like