Howdy,

Given a lone resident that is injured or otherwise unable to unlock a door after placing a 911 call, how do you deal with the issue of granting access to emergency responders so that they aren't forced to break in?

Thanks for your feedback.

-- Grouch

The easiest and least costly way would be to install a key box with a four digit cipher lock on or near an entry door that would be used by emergency services. These key boxes are made by a major manufacturer and are readily available at most "big box" stores and hardwares. The box location and code can be given to the 911 operator at the time of the call or placed in the 911 database. Check with the local jurisdictions 911 director or supervisor concerning the requirements for this. Some folks give a key to a trusted friend or neighbor, but that dosen't always work as that person may not be available to respond.
The other side of the story is that emergency services will do whatever it takes to gain access to you if you need help. That means forcing doors, breaking glass, etc.
As an emergency responder, I have on numerous ocassions, had to do physical damage to property to gain access. Whatever it takes.

I'm an LEO so I am also familiar with forcible entry but I'd like to avoid that if at all possible. I've responded to calls where there were poorly hidden keys and others where we had to force entry but never to a call where there was a lock box. I like that idea so I think I'll call our 911 folks to see if they can enter the info in the 911 database. Thanks!

I personally had to go through this a couple years myself. It was night, my wife was on a business trip, and I was suddenly stricken with agonizing abdominal pain. I couldn't even move enough to reach the phone for hours, let alone unlock the front door. However, I did have plenty of time to envision fire fighters breaking down my door and worrying about what might happen to my house while I'm off at the ER with a busted front door. In my case, the pain eventually subsided enough for me to reach the phone and also unlock the front door.

I had thought of two other possibilities besides the lock box: a combination code lockset and keeping your garage door opener handy. The combination locksets can be programmed with any combination so memorize one to give to the dispatcher. With the garage door opener, even if you keep the door from the garage into the house locked, at least if EMS has to force the inner door, the garage door is still intact and can be closed again when everyone leaves.

Still, that's a tough situation and if it's truly an emergency, they have to do what they have to do to help you.

Yeah, I have a keypad and remote to open the overhead garage door but, in the event that the emergency occurs during a power outage, I'd rather have a key available. The lock box seems the easiest solution so long as the combination can easily be conveyed to emergency personnel.

My most immediate concern is for an elderly family member who recently took a bad fall. She would have been very hard pressed to unlock the door and it was just plain good luck that I was there to handle the situation. I don't want to eliminate good luck from the equation but I sure don't want to rely on it.

Oh, I remember that I had one more idea while waiting for my pain to subside. Install an extra keyed deadbolt on the front door but leave it unlocked. Put the key and sign near/next to the front door (not on the back of the door, since that will likely remain open and hidden the entire time EMS is there) telling EMS what the key is for. That way, assuming the door jamb isn't too damaged, they can lock up on their way out even if the patient doesn't remember to mention the key.

My father had a stroke ten years ago and the fire department had to force the door at their house. Amazingly, I couldn't tell that the door had been forced open, so don't necessarily assume that the door is completely unusable after being forced open. (Although it also did make me wonder how secure that door really is...)

Hope your relative recovers soon. Just one bad fall can really take a toll on people when they're older.

We generally used an ax as a pass key.

Good idea! Maybe I'll order a keyless deadbolt so that only a sign is necessary.

Hey, that keyless deadbolt is nifty.

Actually, I just realized a potential flaw in my idea, so keep this in mind. My thinking is that if you leave the deadbolt unlocked, then the fire department won't necessarily damage the door jamb where that deadbolt is. That's why they can lock up when they leave.

But that's an assumption, I guess. If they see the deadbolt face from the outside, who's to say that they won't take an ax or a Haligan to it? So, my assumption is that they'll try to pry the door near the main lockset first, and hopefully the door just pops open and they'll leave this unlocked deadbolt alone and it is undamaged and can be locked behind them.

Actually, so that's one potential reason NOT to use that keyless deadbolt. If it's already locked when EMS gets there, they might have to damage the door jamb to get inside. However, if they can get the door open without damaging the jamb, even if the keyless deadbolt is locked, then that would be an idea on how to lock up after they're done.

I was thinking that the keyless deadbolt would just provide a good way for emergency personnel to lock the door without any input from the person being hauled out. If the door is Martinated, all bets are off.