Fire Department Relaunches HomeBox Program

The City of Springfield and the Springfield Fire Department have relaunched the Residential Knox HomeBox® Loaner Program, an initiative aimed at improving emergency response times, reducing property damage and increasing safety for residents.

The program is part of the department’s Community Risk Reduction strategy and is designed to address delays that can occur when firefighters need to enter a home during fires, medical emergencies or alarm activations. In some cases, firefighters may have to force entry, which can delay care and cause unnecessary damage.

A Residential Knox HomeBox® is a secure key safe installed on a home’s entry door. It holds a house key that can only be accessed by the Springfield Fire Department using a department-controlled master key kept on responding fire apparatus. The system allows firefighters to enter a residence quickly without causing damage.

The program is intended to help decrease response times during fires and medical emergencies, reduce property damage from forced entry, improve access for vulnerable residents, and enhance safety for both firefighters and occupants.

It may be especially helpful for seniors, people with mobility limitations or medical conditions, households with monitored alarm systems, and residents who may have difficulty getting to the door during an emergency.

Knox HomeBoxes® are provided through the department’s Home Safety Program and remain the property of the Springfield Fire Department. Participants are required to notify the department of any lock changes, provide updated keys when needed and return the box when it is no longer required.

Residents interested in participating or learning more about eligibility requirements can contact the Springfield Fire Department at 217-789-2170.