The Juniorette Diamonds are ready to distribute lockboxes for Pearl River County residents who want one, said Juniorette advisor and Civic Woman’s Club member Debbie Benoit.

The lockboxes are part of the existing E911 program, Benoit said. Residents can request a free lockbox from E911 to store a key for emergency responders to use when no one is able to answer the door during an emergency in the home. 

“Our whole point is to save eight minutes for the first responders and make it a happy ending and not something tragic,” Benoit said.

Participants receive a lockbox, generate a 3-digit code for it, and keep the box with a key inside on their front door, Benoit said. The club wants to ensure that the lockboxes are available to anyone who cannot afford one, Benoit said.

The code is kept in the E911 database so that first responders can access it in case of an emergency, Benoit said.  The program aims to prevent the need for first responders to kick in a door or break a window when no one in the home is able to answer the door, Benoit said.

The program could speed up the time between an emergency call and an injured resident receiving medical services and it could save participants the cost of replacing a doorframe, she said.

The Juniorette Diamonds raised $1,000 with a Father Daughter Dance in February to order 100 lockboxes, Benoit said. The lockboxes have arrived and are ready to be distributed, she said. The Juniorettes are a volunteer organization of seventh to 12th grade girls, Benoit said. The club currently includes 16 girls and teaches its members to solve problems they see within their community, she said.

Benoit said she intends to get a lockbox for her own parents’ front door.

The Board of Supervisors oversees the E911 program and approved the lockboxes last fall, Benoit said.