The key to Marblehead’s emergency response is locked away in a little box.
The Marblehead Lockbox Project is a collaborative effort among the town’s fire department, Rotary Elder Act, and Council On Aging (COA). The program is a way for first responders to gain immediate entry into the homes of residents aged 60 and older, according to Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland.
“If someone is ill or in a real emergency, it’s important to get there as quick as we can,” said Gilliland. “These boxes help the speed at which we can get to them as well as not going around looking for open windows or doors. It’s immediate access.”
The project began in 2015, after the Rotary Elderly Act brought it to Gilliland and the COA, stating there needed to be a more efficient way for first responders to get into the homes of elderly residents with limited mobility, he said.
Older residents who are isolated, infirm, or have a disability that would prevent them from reaching the door in the event of an emergency, are eligible for the installation of a free lock box, said Marla Meyer, a licensed independent clinical social worker with the COA. Those who do not fit the criteria, but are interested in buying a lock box for themselves, can write a check and buy one at the fire station, said Gilliland.
“We go on a lot of medical calls with a lot of elderly residents, so it’s nice to have quicker access that doesn’t involve causing damage or waiting around for a relative to come by with a spare key,” said Gilliland. “The fire department installs the boxes and they go right into the wall. Residents don’t have to worry about someone getting into the box who isn’t supposed to.”
In the project’s inaugural year, the Rotary Elder Act secured a grant to pay for 68 lock boxes, at their original price of $69. Over the last two years, the price for each box increased to $79 and there have been secured grants from the Marblehead Female Humane Society and the town’s Masonic Lodge to purchase 20 more boxes, totaling 88 fully funded boxes.
There have been 78 boxes installed throughout the town over the last three years, said Meyer. The fire department, COA, and Rotary Elder Act are trying to get the word out to residents who are in need of the lock box services but do not know it exists, she said.
The small boxes are sturdy and made with heavy metal. In the event of an emergency, the Marblehead Fire Department (and only the MFD) has a master key to open the lock box, retrieve the key, and enter to offer assistance, which helps responders avoid breaking down the door or smashing a window to get in the house, she said.
When a resident with a lock box no longer needs it, it gets reissued to a new home, said Gilliland. Anyone interested in learning more about the Lock Box Project can contact Meyer at 781-631-6225.
“At minimum it saves the door from being knocked down, but it can save a life in seconds,” said Meyer.
