To: Board of Directors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Purchase of Knox Box Lockboxes
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent to execute, on behalf of the Fire Chief, a purchase order with Knox Company in an amount not to exceed of $443,000 for the purchase of Knox Box lockboxes.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This expenditure is 90% grant funded from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The Federal share of this grant is $400,106 and the 10% District match is approximately $43,000. The District match will be funded by the District’s FY 2023-2024 General Operating Fund.
BACKGROUND:
The District recently received a grant award from the FEMA AFG to improve and standardize our Knox Box system.
In accordance with California Fire Code section 506.1, key boxes, padlocks, and gate override access switches are deployed throughout the District. These key boxes, padlocks, and override switches play a critical role in providing immediate access for life-saving and firefighting efforts.
Currently, the District deploys the Knox Rapid Access System powered by one master key that has expanded with annexations and contract for services that as of today, includes six unique master Knox keys that provide this immediate access. However, the diversity in having six different keys presents complications and challenges with key management and interoperability. The diversity in keys complicates the efficient management and deployment of emergency services, particularly given the expansive geography of the fire district. Approval of this request will assist in reducing the number of unique keys and increase standardization across the District.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Failure to approve this action would result in the District’s continued complications and challenges with providing immediate access for life-saving and firefighting efforts to the communities we serve. Any delays with access to provide these efforts would further increase the damage to structures and access gates caused by the necessity to forcibly enter residences, businesses, and other facilities by fire personnel when called upon. Without improved standardization, the possibility of one of the six master keys becoming compromised would result in the need to acquire a new Knox master key and the District to pay and replace all the key cores and equipment that the key accessed throughout a large geographic area.