Golder Ranch residental lock box program underway
Gary Hammond
Golder Ranch Fire District provides full service fire and emergency services in SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch. As part of their services they provide residential lock boxes to be placed on front door panels to enable their EMTs to gain immediate entrance in the event of a medical emergency – without the need to break down doors or windows to get access to the resident. The program has been in place for many years; about 10% of SaddleBrooke homes have the lock boxes installed.
As part of our mission to “enable SaddleBrooke residents to stay in their homes as long as they are able,” SaddleBrooke Village is partnering with Golder Ranch to substantially increase the number of homes with lock boxes. Around the first of the year we will be responsible for the promotion, delivery and installation of lock boxes in SaddleBrooke.
We are recruiting several SaddleBrooke handyman/handywomen volunteers to attach the lock boxes to front door frames, test front door keys, prepare instructions for pets and guide residents in providing medical histories to be placed in GRFD provided File of Life holders on refrigerator doors to aid responding EMTs. Once installed, the volunteer will contact the GRFD Coordinator who will arrange a date with the resident to secure the lock box and to collect the $60 fee. Once secured, the lock box can only be opened in a medical emergency with resident front door keys obtained by the responding GRFD EMT Captain. We expect each installation will take about two hours overall depending on time spent socializing with the resident, which is encouraged; friends helping friends.
All Village volunteers for this important community program will undergo GRFD background checks, orientation and training. If interested, please email information to [email protected] or leave a message at 818-6784. Please let us know why this project is of interest to you.