EASTHAMPTON — The Hampshire County TRIAD program has now installed more than 900 Safe Entry lockboxes for residents in nine communities in the county.
Easthampton public safety officials joined TRIAD on Wednesday to install 64 of the lockboxes at Harvest Valley Condominium complex East Street. The lockboxes hold house keys that can help first responders address emergencies when a condominium occupant is incapacitated, said Dave Fenton, TRIAD director and deputy sheriff for the Hampshire County Sheriff’s office. Individual lockboxes can be opened with a code known only to public safety personnel, allowing first responders to enter a condo faster in the event of an emergency.
“It’s another tool in the toolbox for emergency responders,” Fenton said.
In the event of emergency, the first responder will have access to the code — which will be on file with Easthampton’s 911 dispatch center — by phoning a dispatcher. As part of the program’s design, homeowners are not privy to the code, so that a key will remain in the box and only be accessed in an emergency.
Harvest Valley Condominium resident Jack Favaro inquired about the lockboxes with the Easthampton Fire Department and the condominium association last July. Richard Newton, a member of the condominium association since its inception, communicated with property manager Russ Jopson and instead of just one lockbox, the association paid for lock boxes for every homeowner at the complex.
“It seemed like an ideal thing for a condo full of old people,” Newton said.
Before retiring, Favaro worked as a Northampton firefighter for 32 years. Throughout his career, he said, there were instances where it was necessary to break a window or door to get in and provide assistance.
“I used to hide a key outside, just in case anything happened. I could be on the phone and tell responders where the key was to get in. Otherwise, how are they going to get in?” Favaro said. “I want them to let themselves in. If someone falls in the bathroom — ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’ — they have a way of getting in.”
TRIAD’s lockbox program is operating in nine Hampshire County communities: Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, South Hadley, Southampton and Westhampton.
TRIAD is implemented by individual SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) councils. The community policing initiative between seniors, law enforcement and service providers is designed to increase safety through education and crime prevention as well as alleviate seniors’ fear of victimization and improve their quality of life.
In addition to the lockbox program, TRIAD and SALT councils also have a house numbering program. With the initiative, more than 15,000 red 4-inch signs attached to 5-foot metal stakes have been installed across Hampshire and Franklin counties.
TRIAD also has provided seniors with upwards of 25,000 pounds of sand for free as part of the Sand for Seniors program.
Hampshire County was the first county in Massachusetts to develop a TRIAD SALT council in Amherst in 1992, which consists of police, fire, sheriff, district attorney, older adults, councils on aging personnel, protective services personnel, and representatives from civic groups.
Now in its 30th year, Fenton said that TRIAD is currently establishing a venue and time to celebrate this anniversary over the summer.
“It has been a good program,” he said. “Support for the program comes from the top and the bottom. Everyone is working together for the same goal. There’s a lot to celebrate over the last 30 years.”
Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.
