Royal Oak Offers Residential Lockbox Program

ROYAL OAK, MI — Royal Oak has introduced a program to help senior citizens and other vulnerable residents who may need first responders in the event of an emergency.

When a person living alone calls 911 and is unable to open the door, firefighters must break through a door or a window causing costly damage to the person's home and wasting valuable time, city officials explained.

The Royal Oak Fire Department’s residential lockbox program is designed to get quick access to adults living in their own homes during medical emergencies -- especially senior citizens.

The lockbox -- which contains a key to a resident’s home -- reduces the likelihood of property damage caused by first responders forcing entry into the home in response to an emergency call.

The lockbox program is open to all Royal Oak residents who either live alone or are left alone on a regular basis and have a condition which may result in the need for immediate assistance due to being incapacitated or unconscious. This includes the elderly, physically handicapped or residents recovering from a major injury or surgery.

For more information, go to https://www.romi.gov/1271/FAQ-Residential-Lockbox