Somerset Community College has recently teamed up with the Albany Fire Department to provide a way for first responders to enter a structure safely and securely without damaging the building or it’s entry ways.

Kenneth Estep, Security Supervisor of Operations at Somerset Community College has recently spearheaded a project, buying a Knox Box for the Clinton Center located on KY 90.

The unit is now installed and operational at the Clinton Center.

The box is designed to hold a key to the front door of the Clinton Center for use in case a fire breaks out or for any other reason a first responder needs to gain entry to the building.

The purpose of this security measure, is to allow access for first responders without having to wait for Somerset Community College personnel to arrive in order to open the facility.

It could shave off valuable time for firefighters and emergency medical personnel in the event of a fire or other situation that could potentially destroy the building or save a life.

The aspect that makes this Knox Box an interest to the county is the fact that since the Clinton Center now has one active, anyone in Clinton County can purchase a Knox Box to install in their home or business.

“We had to apply for this system in order to make it available,” Albany Fire Chief Robert Roeper said. “It’s has allowed anybody in the county to piggy back off of it.”

The box at the Clinton Center is located near the front entrance and is recessed in the wall of the building.

Along with the unit that is installed in the building, the fire department also has a box that will be mounted in one of their fire trucks that holds the key to the box at the Clinton Center.

The box the fire department will keep is equipped to store more than 5,000 different codes that will open the box.

Roeper said only a select few will have codes to the box if something happens and someone is out of town when an emergency rises.

“All schools should have one on their buildings,” Estep said.

The box the fire department will keep, holds a key to the box located at the school. The box at the school holds the key to the entry way to the college.

Roeper said each box will be able to store a list of all the codes and can tell who has opened the box, what time they opened the box and how long the key was removed from the box.

Roeper said the box weighs around 10 pounds and can be purchased from the Knox Box company. He also said he has applications, if anyone is interested in purchasing a box, to be filled out in order to be keyed to the same system that the fire department already has for the Clinton Center.

“The key we have will be able to open any box at any location that has a Knox Box,” Roeper said.

The boxes range from $250 to $600 depending on the type and size of the box purchased.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a Knox Box, contact Roeper through daispatch at 606-387-5917.