Thanks to generous support from Surf Internet, Plymouth Community School Corporation will have Knox Box – Knox Rapid Access Systems installed on every school within the corporation. A media conference was held on Thursday to share the safety benefits with the public. Shown in photo from left to right: Director of Business Development for Surf Internet Scott Franko, Plymouth Community School Corporation Superintendent Mitchell Mawhorter, Plymouth Community School Corporation Director of Safety and Security Ward Byers, Plymouth Fire Chief Steve Holm and Surf Internet Chief Executive Officer Gene Crusie.
A Knox Box – Knox Rapid Access System will be installed at every school within the Plymouth Community School Corporation (PCSC) thanks to funding provided by Surf Internet.
A Knox Box – Knox Rapid Access System safely guards access to keys for first responders on site for rapid emergency access as needed. Inside the box is a master key to access all exterior and interior doors along with floor maps.
Thursday afternoon, Superintendent Mitchell Mawhorter, Director of Safety and Security Ward Byers, Surf Internet Chief Executive Officer Gene Crusie, Director of Business Development for Surf Internet Scott Franko, Plymouth Fire Department Chief Steve Holm, Director of Communications Lauren LaFaive, and other Surf Internet representatives met to celebrate the installation of the first Knox Box at Plymouth High School.
Chief Holm already held a key fob for access in to buildings; but once inside he would not have been able to open any other doors.
Byers stated, “Classrooms are locked during instruction all day. The fob just gets you in. We’ve now provided access to everything.”
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel is already part of PFD. Law Enforcement Officers will have access to the box through the PFD as well. Byers said, “If it’s a situation obviously with an armed intruder – Fire is responding along with Police. Fire is going to give them access to that box so they can go ahead and do their thing.”
The Knox Box will decrease the amount of time required to access the school or any part of the school in the event of an emergency or crisis. Chief Holm emphasized that every moment counts in any emergency.
LaFaive stated, “I love stuff like this – anything where we can demonstrate the safety of our students is always a good thing.”
Byers said, “Every school will have that box on it. It will have a master key to that building and a floor map to that building.”
