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The Knox Box, a proprietary system used by the Asheville Fire-Rescue Department, is a program designed to expedite entry and eliminate property damage caused by the forcible entry required for evaluation of an emergency situation, and allows the Fire Department to re-secure the building when leaving.
A Knox Box is a highly secure, UL listed steel vault used for the storage of entry keys and alarm panel or mechanical system keys for use only by the Fire Department. The keys to access the Knox Boxes are located in locked boxes inside the emergency response apparatus and cannot be duplicated.
• The enforcement of use of the Knox Boxes is through the City of Asheville Fire Code, which adopted the NC Fire Code. Section 506.1 reads:
“Where access to or within a structure or an area is restricted because of secured openings or where immediate access is necessary for life-saving or fire-fighting purposes, the code official is authorized to require a key box to be installed in an accessible location. The key box shall be of an approved type and shall contain keys to gain access as required by the code official.”
All buildings which contain automatic fire alarm systems or fire suppression sprinkler systems shall provide a key box and the required keys for access to the building. An important reason for this is the real possibility of an alarm occurring when the business is locked and vacant. The availability of a key allows firefighters to safely enter the building, without causing any damage, evaluate the conditions present and secure the premises.
• Your Knox Box shall be installed as designated on your fire department approved plans. If the location of the Knox Box is not indicated on the approved plans, have the fire inspector approve the location prior to installation.
• Boxes may be ordered on line at “www.knoxbox.com”. Enter “28801” as the Zip Code for the Asheville Fire Department.
• The Knox Box shall be installed between 4’ - 6’ from the ground unless otherwise approved by the Fire Marshal.
• The Knox Box shall not be blocked from plain view by any obstructions (landscaping, etc.).
• If you are unsure or have questions, call your fire inspector prior to installing this Knox Box.
• The box will arrive unlocked from the factory so it can be installed.
• Once the Knox Box is mounted and you are ready to lock the keys in, call (828) 259-5441 to request a fire inspector to come out to lock the box.
The City of Asheville continually strives to strengthen and protect its neighborhoods by improving the quality of life in residential areas. Traffic conditions on residential streets can greatly affect neighborhood livability. Speeding traffic and unnecessary through traffic in neighborhoods create safety hazards on residential streets. When traffic problems become a daily occurrence, our sense of community and personal well-being are threatened. Consequently, the city has a Traffic Calming Policy that addresses how cut-through traffic in neighborhoods can be managed.
The type of traffic calming measures that are used in a particular neighborhood or situation is determined through a public process as established in the policy. There are a variety of measures to be considered, including chicanes, diverters, speed tables, speed humps, and traffic circles. Specific measures will be designed for the circumstances in which they are used so there are no standards for these measures other than sound engineering practice except for the most common measure used in the City of Asheville, speed humps. “Standard Details 3.28: 22’ Collector Street Speed Table” and “3.29: 14’ Collector Street Speed Hump” illustrate speed table and hump design standards for two common collector street widths.
Barrier guards shall be located on any retaining wall that is more than 30 inches above grade. Guards for pedestrian protection shall be designed to resist a load of 50 psi applied in any direction at the top and to transfer this load through the supports to the structure. Guards for pedestrians shall form a protective barrier not less than 42 inches high. Horizontal intermediate rails or other construction shall not permit a sphere with a diameter of 21 inches to pass through any opening. This may be an integrated chain link fence or other fence or cabling type application. Vehicle barriers in addition to the pedestrian guards for parking lots shall be located on any retaining wall that is more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below. Vehicle barrier systems for passenger cars shall be designed to resist a single load of 6,000 pounds applied horizontally as per the latest North Carolina State Building Code. This may be a guard rail system or a combination of wheel stops, 18 – 24 inch barriers, or bollards. Vehicle barrier systems are not required when the parking spaces are 20 feet from the retaining wall or the spaces are parallel to the retaining wall. Pedestrian guards are required for any retaining wall meeting this section.
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