Weatherly Borough Council is considering an ordinance that would require commercial buildings to have key lock boxes for the fire company to gain access to the building in an emergency.

Council tabled action on Monday, but agreed to review a sample ordinance and consider what would work best for the borough.

Councilman Vincent Cuddeford II said that the fire company would have a master key for the boxes on commercial properties that would allow them access to keys for the structure.

This would save time in an emergency, as they wouldn’t have to wait for a key holder to respond, and prevent any damage caused by having to break a door or window to gain access, he said.

The boxes for the commercial structures would cost between $300 and $500, and the boxes with the master key on the firetrucks would cost around $1,400 each, Cuddeford said.

The fire company would like to have digital boxes with key pads that would log the specific person accessing the key for accountability, he said

“If you take that key out, you’re kind of getting the key to the city,” Cuddeford said. “(This) is making sure we know who took it out.”

The cost of the digital boxes on the trucks would likely fall onto the fire company, unless the borough would agree to split the cost, he said.

Councilman Michael Bellizia questioned the cost, because with four fire company vehicles that would come to $5,600.

“I understand you can’t put a price tag on somebody’s safety, and if you got to get into a building, you got to get in,” he said, pointing to facilities such as Heritage Hill senior living.

The borough wouldn’t have to place boxes on all the trucks at one time, Cuddeford said, and could do it a few at a time to reduce the initial cost.

Bellizia asked how many commercial properties would be affected and be required to get the key boxes.

Cuddeford didn’t know how many would fall under the ordinance, and Borough Manager Harold Pudliner said it would mainly be the buildings such as Evergreen Apartments, Heritage Hill and the schools.

Cuddeford added commercial buildings, such as the Dollar General, would be also included.

Council members didn’t disagree with the move, but want to review the ordinance language and see what options they had in formulating their own ordinance.