LELAND, NC (WWAY)– A program that helps First Responders in the Town of Leland serve the community is expanding thanks to a generous donation.
Leland Fire Rescue’s Senior Citizen KnoxBox Program, which launched in 2022, is designed to provide key safes for homes of older residents who live in the department’s response district.
The Friends of Leland Public Safety received a grant from Focus Broadband to buy 11 KnoxBox key safes for the department.
This will allow them to serve double the number of residents, and alleviate some names from the waiting list.
Leland’s Fire Chief says this will make their response more efficient.
“If something happens at their house, and they can’t come to the door, instead of their door having to be broken into or broken down to get access to them, we can be dispatched and use our keys to actually open the door,” said Ronnie Hayes, the Town of Leland’s Fire Chief.
Each KnoxBox purchased for a property in the Leland Fire/Rescue response district is keyed to a single master key controlled by the department.
Nearly all the businesses and residential complexes in the Leland Fire/Rescue response district have KnoxBox key safes in place for fire department access during emergencies.
The program is open to all residents ages 65 and older in the Leland Fire-Rescue response district.
To learn more about the KnoxBox program, apply for a box, or purchase your own, click here.
If awarded or purchased, the department will come to your home and install your box.