PROUDLY SERVING DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP
Join our team!
Help us find you in your time of need
Address Identification
Help us find you in your time of need. Make sure that your property is clearly marked so that first responders can find you quickly.
Building Identifications:
1. Identification Markings Required – The owner and/or manager of any residential, multi-family dwelling, Commercial or Industrial property within Douglass Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, shall mark all buildings for identification and location purposes with numbers or letters in sequence.
2. Buildings shall have approved address numbers placed in a position to be plainly legible and visible form the street or road fronting the property. These numbers shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters. Numbers and letters shall be a minimum of 4 inches high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5inch. Where access is by means of a private road and the building cannot be viewed from the public way, a monument, pole or other sign or means shall be used to identify the structure.
3. The rear door of a multi-family dwelling unit, commercial building or industrial building must be marked with unit or suite number and name identification in 4 inch high letters or numbers.
Know two ways out - Practice fire drills at home
Practice fire drills in the home
Practice fire drills in the home
Practice fire drills in the home
Know two ways out of every room in your home. Practice your exit drills. Locate a meeting spot outside of your home where everyone can gather in the unfortunate event that there is a fire in your home. Once you are outside, never go back into the home.
Practice fire drills in the home
Practice fire drills in the home
Smoke Alarms Save Lives!
Smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out.
Here's what you need to know!
- A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home.
- Smoke alarms should be interconnected. When one sounds, they all sound.
- Large homes may need extra smoke alarms.
- Test your smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.
- Today’s smoke alarms will be more technologically advanced to respond to a multitude of fire conditions, yet mitigate false alarms.
- When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
- Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years.
Knox Box
Required by Douglass Township Ordinance
Key Boxes Where Required – Requiring the owners of certain structures to have a key lock box installed on the exterior of their structures for fire and life safety purposes. The key lock box system will eliminate forced entries into structures thereby avoiding costly and time consuming efforts in gaining access to locked structures during an emergency.
1. The following structures or properties shall be equipped with a key lock box at or near the main entrance or such other location required by the Fire Chief;
a. residential, commercial or industrial structures protected by an automatic alarm system or automatic suppression system.
b. multi-family residential structures that have restricted access through locked doors and have a common corridor for access to the living units;
c. governmental structures and nursing care facilities.
d. Gated or similar barrier type properties.
2. All newly constructed or renovated structures subject to this section shall have the key lock box installed and operational prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit. All structures in existence on the effective date of this ordinance and subject to this ordinance shall have one year from the effective date of this section to have a key lock box installed and operational.
3. The Fire Chief shall designate the type of key lock box system to be implemented within the township and shall have authority to require all structures to use a designated system.
4. Unless otherwise required by the Fire Code Official, the key lock box shall be installed on the front of the structure, and adjacent to the main entry door on the right-hand side of said door and be installed at a height not to exceed six (6) feet above the grade or floor at this location. The Fire Code Official may require installation at another location he/she deems would allow more efficient and effective response by emergency personnel. The Fire Code Official shall have the final determination as to the location of the key lock box.
5. The key lock box shall contain the keys for an exterior front and exterior back door and/or gates or similar barriers at the property, the keys for interior doors and/or gates within the building, and the keys to doors and/or panels that control access to shared systems (i.e., HVAC, elevators, alarm panels, sprinkler controls and electrical panels), as required by the Fire Code Official. Each key shall be clearly labeled and easily identifiable.
6. The owner or manager of any structure or property required to have a key lock box shall ensure that all keys contained in the key lock box are up-to-date and provide access to all required areas both on the property and in the structure. Whenever a lock is changed or rekeyed, or new doors, gates or panels are installed on the property or in the structure, the owner or manager of the building shall immediately notify Douglass Township and provide the new key within 48 hours of said change or installation to the Fire Code Official. The keys for all locks, doors, gates and panels shall be secured in the key lock box.
7. The Board of Supervisors shall be authorized to implement rules and regulations for the use of the lock box system by resolution.
Donate Now
We are dedicated to improving the lives of those in our community. Your contribution today helps us make a difference.
