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A new feature at a Jasper church is giving the first responders easier access to the building.

Redemption Christian Church in Jasper and the Jasper Fire Department unveiled the Knox Box last week.

The Knox Box is located just outside the west entrance of the church. Jasper Campus Minister, Ryan Stiles explains why they decided to install one.

“We had a failure in our alarm system that caused an alarm to go off. Jasper Fire Department Chief, Kenny Hochgesang, went out [to the chuch] and had to wait for one of us to come and open the door. Then he told us about the Knox Box and we got it right away,” Stiles says.

Stiles says it will also give them another layer of safety.

“They can’t always look inside the building to see if there is a fire somewhere because we have two floors. There may be something upstairs, or there may be a staff member that is here by themselves. If they call and nobody can see them, the only way to enter the building is by breaking the window. So for us, the Knox Box provides us with an extra layer of safety,” Stiles says.

Jasper Fire Chief, Kenny Hochgesang, gives us a look into how exactly the box works.

“So if we unlock this box, the master keys are inside. This gives us 24/7 access to the keys for their facility. Rather it is two in the afternoon or in the morning when the fire department shows up to the alarm an issue that needs our assistance, we have 24/7 access to the building and don’t need to wait for a key holder,” Hochgesang says.

The box itself is not cheap. But in the long run, Hochgesang says it will pay for itself.

“They cost around $400. There are different versions of the box, but any version works for us. The Fire and Police Departments both have keys. So once we arrive on the scene, we have access to the entire building,” Hochgesang says.

Hochgesang says this box is part of a program, but many people don’t know about it.

“It’s a program that the Jasper Fire Department launched a couple of years ago, and I know that Huntingburg has done this another year or two prior to this. So any company or business that decides to get a Knox Box will give firefighters and police officers access to the building,” he says.

If you’re thinking about getting a Knox Box or what to learn more about it, visit knoxbox.com.

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