Whether emergency responders can get to your property in a time of crisis depends on whether the driveway gate installer that installed your gate knew what they were doing and provided a form of access for emergency vehicles.
In An Emergency
If they were one of the fly by night “companies” and disregarded the need for emergency vehicle access, then first responders will be left waiting at your gate while you are in need of their services, or they will strap a chain to your gate and pull it down.
Either way you are left to potentially watch your loved one’s distress because your gate installer did the project a thousand dollars cheaper than the reputable company that was going to install emergency access.
Emergency Access Basics
The type of access required is based on the local and regional requirements of your area first responders.
In some smaller rural areas, it is as simple as sharing a code for the keypad with the fire department.
Most areas, though, require the installation of a “Knox key switch” and/or a “strobe switch”. Some jurisdictions are requiring installation of devices that open the gate after receiving a command from the handheld radios in emergency responder’s vehicles.
Summing it Up
Regardless of the requirements, a competent quality driveway gate installation company, such as our partner installers, will be able to determine what you need and will include the cost of emergency access in their estimate.