Palm Harbor Firefighters Break Down Door, Then Fix It

PALM HARBOR, FL — It's not unusual for first-responders to break down a door to rescue a resident but it's not often they stick around to repair it.

That's what happened when Palm Harbor Fire Rescue firefighters responded to a call about an elderly man who was spotted through the window of his home by a home health nurse passed out on the floor.

All the doors were locked and the nurse couldn't get inside. Firefighters arrived and broke the door jamb to gain access to the home. But, before leaving firefighters rebuilt the door jamb with tools they found in the homeowner's garage while paramedics transported the elderly man to the hospital.

Palm Harbor Fire Rescue is now recommending a new residential KNOX BOX system for homeowners for emergency events such as this. Homeowners can go to this link and purchase a box that can be installed on their home and only accessed by fire rescue.

This program has been available for years for commercial businesses and only recently offered to residents. After purchasing and installing a residential KNOX BOX, call 727-784-0454 and make an appointment with the Palm Harbor fire marshal to come to your home to unlock the box and allow you to safely and securely add a key to your home. The box is then locked and ready in the event firefighters need to gain access without causing damage to your door or windows.