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Bluffton Town Council approved on a first reading a recommendation that would require gated developments to install codeless, electronic entry systems for emergency crews.
The ordinance change was proposed after emergency responders in April were sent to Bluffton's Baynard Park after a 62-year-old man had a heart attack. Though Beaufort County EMS paramedics arrived at the security gate in about four minutes, they were held up for two to three minutes because they couldn't open the unmanned gate, according to a report provided by the county.
Emergency personnel took the man to Hilton Head Hospital, where he later died.
Two readings are required for passage of the amendment. Council members will hear a second reading at the next Town Council meeting Dec. 15.
Bluffton Fire Marshall Bill Martin said Tuesday the measure will not only aid fire crews, but will also give law enforcement and emergency medical responders quicker access.
"Now, a fire fighter has to get out of his vehicle to access the gate," Martin said. "The new system will shave a minute to a minute and a half off response time."
Bluffton Township fire engines are equipped with a device called a Knox-Box Rapid Entry System, which functions like a universal key. Martin is proposing communities install a Click2Enter keyless entry system, which uses a radio frequency to allow access and can be activated from the vehicle.
Nearly all of Hilton Head's 56 gated neighborhoods use the Click2Enter system, which Martin said costs between $1,200 and $1,600 to purchase and install.
The council also voted to adjust a recommendation by the town's Accommodations Tax Advisory committee. The amendment shifted funds from two regional groups to Bluffton's Historical Preservation Society, approving a total of $20,500 for the society for the second quarter of the fiscal year.
The tax advisory committee last week recommended $2,500 in bed tax revenue go to the Hilton Head Island Choral Society ,and $3,000 to the Lowcountry Tourism Commission.
The accommodations tax is a tax paid by hotel guests that funds tourism-related activities.
