What happened: A resident on the top floor of a Wintergreen condo building recently dialed 911 because she could smell smoke and heard alarms sounding on the floor beneath her. Fire crews noted the odor of electrical smoke from the parking lot. All curtains were closed, and all doors and windows were secure. Fire crews could not see inside the unit, nor could they pick through the lock.
A decision was made to "force the door," which is firefighter-speak for busting through the door. Once inside, crews found smoke and odor, however, could not pin down the origin. Thermal imagers were used to look for any hot spots behind the walls. The unit was cross-ventilated, and the odor completely went away. Wintergreen Police and the property management company responsible for the unit secured the condo.
The Challenge: In a scenario such as this, unless the property management firm happens to have a technician in the parking lot, the fire department is compelled to force entry.
Knox Boxes are usually located near the electric meter. Only local emergency responders can access this high-security key safe.
Although the event is covered by hazard insurance, the owner is always responsible for any deductibles. If the condo is on the rental market (this one was not) then additional money will be lost via canceled bookings pending repair of the unit.
Solution: The Wintergreen Fire Department participates in the "Knox Box" program. There are hundreds of Knox Boxes at Wintergreen on both houses and condos.
It’s not just for vacation homes. Every property owner at Wintergreen should have a Knox Box.
With over 20 years of usage, there has never been a security breach. The Knox Box is mounted on your property and contains a key to your front door. The tamper-proof box can only be opened with a master key which is kept on our fire engines.
For a firefighter to utilize the key they must first enter a portion of their social security number. Access is tracked and monitored. The Wintergreen Fire Department will install the Knox box for you.
This is NOT a fund-raiser. The cost you pay is what we pay. The current cost is $175, installed.
(Respectfully, we request that you not substitute a Knox Box purchase for an annual fund-drive contribution. We're about to order a new fire engine and we need all the help we can get.)
Extra Credit: Please make certain that WPOA always has an up-to-date address, phone number, and email address for any persons needing to be contacted regarding your property. Go HERE.
Sign up for a Knox Box online HERE
-Curtis Sheets, Chief, Wintergreen Fire & Rescue