What's this sound? (Heard on Fire dispatch)

[bmacc]

Last night I was listening to the scanner and I heard dispatch send an engine to a box alarm; (turned out to be a grill fire at a restaurant)

When the unit arrived on scene they asked for what sounded like a "knocks key" (?) to be released by the dispatcher. (I'm sure I spelled that completely wrong.. but that's what it sounds like on the recording). A few moments later, I heard a series of what sounded like telephone key presses; they definitely weren't tone outs for other units.

I have a hunch that this means they asked for something to be unlocked? Anybody know what the sounds mean in the recording?

Recording Link:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/6007617b3fc6f4/

 

[KB8UYC]

Yes that is exactly what it is.

Fire departments often have to get inside particular places and rather than busting the door down with an axe, they just have dispatch unlock the box inside the firetruck and that gives them access to the keys to that particular building. When done they put them back and call KB secure.

 

[n2mdk]

Yes they are DTMF tones to open the Knox Box. Some systems use a digital type code instead
http://www.knoxbox.com/store/

 

[N1BHH]

Yes that is exactly what it is.

Fire departments often have to get inside particular places and rather than busting the door down with an axe, they just have dispatch unlock the box inside the firetruck and that gives them access to the keys to that particular building. When done they put them back and call KB secure.

Actually the Knox Box is located close to the fire alarm box on the building wall. In the past the fire alarm box would have entry keys for a building, but nowadays they get put in a Knox Box. The fire companies can open the box and get keys to access the building. Sometimes the Knox Box has entry "swipe cards" for various locations inside a building, also.

 

[hoser147]

Clyde, is right. The box is usually at the location. Not sayn that the FD don't have keys to places but thats usually considered a security issue. Its much less costly to turn a key. Jerri is right on with the DTMF tones to open the Knox box................Hoser

 

[n2mdk]

The Knox Box on the trucks hold the master key that opens the boxes at the building involved, the keys in the box at the scene can be entrance, alarm control panel, basement, enen elevator control.

 

[Tfitzmaurice89]

So you guys have get a specal toneout just to get the knox key for a knox box? Well i guess that could make some sense. Is there an actuall reason involved or is it just for security measures?

 

[bmacc]

wow, ok that system makes a lot of sense..pretty clever idea, too; thanks for the help

so does the firefighter hold the radio's speaker up to the box and does the box just listen for the correct audio tones to come through? because it seems like it would be really easy to compromise the security of the box that way...

 

[Andrew33453]

wow, ok that system makes a lot of sense..pretty clever idea, too; thanks for the help

so does the firefighter hold the radio's speaker up to the box and does the box just listen for the correct audio tones to come through? because it seems like it would be really easy to compromise the security of the box that way...

No, what the tone you herd last night was being sent to the box its self , when those tones are activated its telling the box to open and release the key,generally if they do it in your area youd here some one on the radio giving the dispatcher and authorization number or an ID number to release the key.

 

[n2mdk]

So you guys have get a specal toneout just to get the knox key for a knox box? Well i guess that could make some sense. Is there an actuall reason involved or is it just for security measures?

It's for security, in Ames they announce when they are returning the key to the box as well. The name of the firefighter the key is being released to is given out as well.

 

[slicerwizard]

so does the firefighter hold the radio's speaker up to the box and does the box just listen for the correct audio tones to come through? because it seems like it would be really easy to compromise the security of the box that way...

The box, which spends its life in the fire truck, is wired to the truck's radio. You don't hold anything up next to it.

 

[br0adband]

See, learn something new every day - and since it's January 1st, I just learned something new this year! Never heard of any of this stuff before, and now I can do research into it for more info.

Gotta love this place...

 

[bmacc]

See, learn something new every day - and since it's January 1st, I just learned something new this year! Never heard of any of this stuff before, and now I can do research into it for more info.

Gotta love this place...

lol