Shared by Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities
Gated communities. Some love them, others hate them.
But if you live in a gated community, you need to read this article. One growing problem faced by police, fire, and ambulance crews – getting into the community because the gate is closed, and they don’t have the access codes. That can be a big problem when minutes count.
A delay in emergency access could cost someone their life, not to mention legal liability for the Association. Something very important to consider.
Officials seek to improve safety access to gated communities
During a Safety Committee meeting Wednesday, Fire Chief Chris Huerner said fire trucks have arrived at certain click-to-enter gates — systems that are supposed to allow gates to open through radio communication gear — but they did not because the calibrations were off and the gates didn’t recognize fire trucks or ambulances.
In other gated communities in the city, keys are required to open gates, but firefighters waste valuable time finding lock boxes to open the gates, and sometimes the gates close before a firefighter can get back in the truck to enter.
“There’s no way we can keep trained on all these different communities and all the different methods to enter,” Huerner said.
Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch, 2nd Ward, said six of the seven gated communities are in her ward within the Legacy subdivision south of Walker Road and west of Jaycox Road.
“Not all of it is gated, but there are sections within the subdivision which are gated, and they all have their own independent homeowners associations,” Fenderbosch said.
Preview, full article here: