EMERGENCY ACCESS · ENNIS
Emergency Gate Access (Knox Box & SOS) in Ennis, TX
Knox key switches, Knox padlocks and siren-operated sensors so fire, EMS and the sheriff can get through a locked gate without a code. We work across Ennis — Prairie View, Stonewyck Farms, Christian Meadows and the surrounding area.
SCOPE
What this service covers.
Only the work we actually do — no padded list. If you are not sure whether your job fits, send a photo and we will tell you straight.
Knox key switches
A key switch wired to the operator that opens the gate with the fire department’s key.
Knox padlocks for manual gates
A padlock in the chain the fire department can open, without a second lock that blocks it.
Siren-operated sensors (SOS)
A sensor on the operator that opens the gate when it hears an emergency vehicle siren.
Manual release that works
An operator that can be released and pushed open by hand when the power is out.
BASED IN CORSICANA, TEXAS — 32.0954° N, 96.4689° W
Why people call about this.
The gate is a long way from the house
Nobody is at the road to let the ambulance in, and every minute at the gate counts.
It is an HOA or community entrance
Gated subdivisions are where fire officials most often ask how they get through.
Fire code applies to your road
A gate across a fire apparatus access road needs approval and an approved means of emergency operation.
ENNIS, TX
Emergency Gate Access (Knox Box & SOS) in Ennis: what’s different here.
Ennis is a railroad town of about 20,000 people (2020 census) in eastern Ellis County, 35 miles south of Dallas on I-45, founded by the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1871 and settled heavily by Czech and Slovak families. It is the Official Bluebonnet City of Texas and is growing, with new subdivisions on the edge of town and acre-plus homesites out in the county. The City of Ennis code FAQ says fences under 8 feet do not need a permit, but asks owners to call the Inspections Department (972-875-6442) first to confirm setbacks; HOA guidelines still apply in the newer subdivisions, and Texas811 locates are needed before any post holes.
Gates & Operators in Ennis
Out on Ennis acreage the drive gate usually sits at the road with the power up at the house, so it is often a wide double-swing or slide gate sized for a stock trailer or equipment and run by a solar operator, while gates in the newer subdivisions are closer to the house and simpler to wire.
The ground
Ennis sits on Blackland Prairie clay (the Kachina Prairie preserve in town protects a remnant of it), which swells in a wet spring and cracks open in August, so post depth and concrete matter more than the boards on top.
Homes and lots
Older frame houses on the streets around downtown, newer HOA subdivisions such as Prairie View, Stonewyck Farms and Christian Meadows, and acre-plus homesites off SH-34, US-287 and the county roads toward Lake Bardwell.
Neighborhoods we work in
- Prairie View
- Stonewyck Farms
- Christian Meadows
- The Hollow
- Older streets near downtown Ennis
- Lake Bardwell area
- SH-34 & US-287 acreage
- I-45 corridor toward Rice
RELATED WORK
Often goes with this.
QUESTIONS
Emergency Gate Access (Knox Box & SOS) — things people ask.
CORSICANA, TEXAS — 32.0954° N, 96.4689° W
CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE.
Send a few photos and the address. Cesar will come look at it and give you a straight number — free.