OCALA, Fla. — Knox Boxes are being installed at Marion County Public Schools, including all elementary campuses, middle schools, and high schools in the district.
Knox Boxes are wall-mounted boxes or safes that lock and hold building keys that can be quickly accessed by police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders during school emergencies, such as fires, medical emergencies, and criminal incidents. The installation of this equipment provides responders with the ability to quickly enter a building without needing to break down doors and/or windows.
Prior to the installation of the safes, school personnel would be required to give keys to first responders when they were going to to an emergency on campus, even when there was an active shooter threat or lockdown, reports WUFT.
Now, each box in the district can be opened by a universal key. Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies hold all of the keys to the Knox Boxes in the areas they serve.
Marion County Public School officials began considering the installation of the Knox Boxes after a 2018 shooting at Forest High School. The cost of the installation of the safes totaled $65,146.
Knox Boxes Can Hold Keys, Maps, Medication, and More
Some other school districts already use Knox Boxes. Last fall, schools in Plymouth, Ind., installed the equipment, reports WNDU.
The boxes can also hold maps and other information first responders may need during an emergency. Additionally, the safes can hold other important items. For example, in Oklahoma, Shawnee schools are allowing teachers to store medication in the safes, such as EpiPens, inhalers, and even Narcan for opioid overdoses, reports OKCFox.
