New Fire Department Lock Box Requirements
By Lee Alderman
After an extensive review of the current requirements for Fire Department Lockboxes, the Calgary Fire Marshal has determined that changes to the lockbox system are needed to provide the City of Calgary and building owners and managers with increased safety and security, accountability, transparency, key control, and risk reduction.
Effective June 1, 2006 in the City of Calgary, the only lockboxes acceptable to the "Authority Having Jurisdiction" per the Alberta Fire Code [AFC 2.5.1.3] (The Calgary Fire Department), will be the TracVault and the Trac-Tube. Any new building requiring a lockbox will be required to install one of these products as of this date. Buildings with existing lockboxes will be required to retrofit the lockboxes on their buildings to meet and comply the new requirement. The City of Calgary Fire Department will continue to support the old lockboxes until December 31, 2007 to allow existing lockbox owners to budget for and install the new lockboxes. Building owners are strongly encouraged to change over to the new lockboxes as soon as possible to take advantage of the increased safety and security, and other features previously noted. Requirements for installation by approved lockbox service companies and semi-annual inspection of these lockboxes remain unchanged. Listed below are what buildings will require lockboxes.
The following excerpt from the Alberta Fire Code describes what buildings will require the new Fire Department Key Box:
2.5.1.3. Fire Department Key Box
1) A fire department key box constructed, keyed, and located in a manner acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction shall be provided in a building, and shall contain a set or sets of keys or devices required to be used in an emergency.
2) A fire department key box shall be installed and provided with keys and devices in conformance with Sentence (1) in a building equipped with
a) A fire alarm system where control features, including those for emergency voice communication systems, are located behind a locked panel,
b) A fire alarm system where manually operated devices require a key or device in order to be reset,
c) A fire alarm system where the electrical circuit breaker is located within a locked panel or room,
d) An automatic sprinkler system where the main control valve is locked in the open position,
e) An automatic sprinkler system where the main control valve is located within a locked room or enclosure,
f) Fire fighting standpipe and water supply connections in a locked room or area such as on a roof,
g) A key operated elevator control feature that will permit exclusive use of elevators to fire fighting personnel only,
h) A key operated elevator control feature that will switch selected elevators to operate on emergency power,
i) Stairway doors that have been locked on the stairway side in conformance with the Alberta Building Code, or
j) Locked access doors to a roof provided for fire fighting purposes
3) Keys or devices provided in conformance with Sentence (2) shall be affixed to a key ring or rings, and identified with tags indicating their function.
4) When a fire alarm system or sprinkler system is required to transmit a signal to the fire department in conformance with the Alberta Building Code, a key box shall be installed on the exterior wall of the building in proximity to the principal entrance:
5) A key box installed in conformance with Sentence (4) shall contain an entrance door key with a tag affixed to this key in conformance with Sentence (3).
Additional information on these products can be obtained from your approved lockbox service company.
Lee Alderman is the National Account Manager for Always Affordable Always Available Locksmiths Ltd, one of the approved lockbox service companies. Lee can be reached at phone: (403) 272-8923, e-mail: info@affordablelocksmiths.com
