Knox eLock System
FYI:
There’s a relatively new type of KnoxBox system on the market called Knox eLock. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s a system designed around an “eKey” that the fire department has docked in their apparatus. This docking station keeps the key charged and secured, but also syncs information to a cloud management system every time it’s used. When needed, the key requires a pin code to un-dock, then when inserted into the KnoxBox, it powers the box’s eLock mechanism to unlock. There are various benefits of this system, but the biggest is eliminating the risk of a lost or stolen key since it can be disabled.
For building owners, there isn’t any additional equipment or electrical required on their part. The only difference between the original KnoxBox and the Electronic KnoxBox is that the latter has an eLock core and the logo on the door has a red reflective sticker. For existing buildings, the eLock core can be retrofitted into the original KnoxBox so complete replacement is avoided.
The reason I posted this is Dan Lampke and I attended a building/ fire dept meeting with MAA and Core5 last month. When the topic of fire department access was discussed, the local fire chief said they use the Knox eLock System. No one at the meeting had heard of it before, but we noted it in our DD questionnaire. Today, during that project’s 50% pricing set meeting, we caught that MAA’s drawings and details noting KnoxBoxes and KnoxLocks didn’t specify the eLock system. If this wasn’t noticed until final inspections, the cost of replacement or retrofitting these would’ve been a few thousand dollars, plus an unhappy client.
This is something we might need to add to the questionnaire soon and keep an eye out for as it becomes more widely adopted.