The Lambertville Board of Fire Commissioners wants the city to install lockboxes on all businesses.
By: Sue Kramer
LAMBERTVILLE The Board of Fire Commissioners has endorsed a proposed ordinance that would enable the Fire Department to quickly obtain master keys to a burning business from a locked box installed outside the building.
The ordinance would establish a rapid entry box system, under which many businesses would be required to have an exterior locking, vault-like box, which contain the key to the property. Only the chiefs of the four fire companies of the Lambertville Fire Department would have access to the master key that unlocks the boxes.
"Any help we get for that will help us," Fire Chief Robert Hayes told the board at its meeting Jan. 14.
He went on to say only the four chiefs would have a master key. The rapid-entry system would reduce the time it takes for firefighters to get inside a burning building, increasing the likelihood the business won’t be destroyed, Chief Hayes said.
Without the rapid-entry boxes in place, firefighters at the scene of a fire often have no choice but to break into the building or stand by until someone with a key shows up.
Under the new system, firefighters would be able to gain entry without delays or having to do any damage such as breaking down doors.
The boxes, along with a labeled key for each locked area of the building, must contain the layout of any building over 30,000 square feet, sprinkler keys, elevator keys and/or information about any hazardous materials in the building, including the location of the materials, according to the ordinance.
The boxes would be required for all building that have an automatic fire detection or suppression system, industrial buildings and warehouses. They also would be required for hotels, motels, apartments and multiple dwellings that have locked apartments or other areas such as boiler rooms; all educational and day-care structures; all retail businesses; all office buildings; and all other public use buildings such as churches and restaurants.
In addition, any industrial or commercial property that is enclosed by a fence with a locked gate also must provide general access to the property by means of a high-security padlock or key switch.
Owner-occupied one- and two-family buildings are exempt as are any buildings that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The board voted to send a letter of endorsement to the city.
The next fire commission meeting will be held Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Union Fire Company on North Main Street.

