Mul-T-Lock’s MTL™500 platform has been chosen by DES Locksmiths to power its Golden Key initiative, a program aimed at enhancing accountability, traceability, and long-term security in master key systems.
This initiative emerged as a response to fire safety concerns highlighted by the Grenfell incident, focusing on how emergency services can access communal areas in high-rise residential buildings.
Introducing Patented Control
Fire brigade keys, which were historically widely available, led to instances of unauthorized use and entry. To counter this, DES Locksmiths launched Golden Key Secure utilizing Mul-T-Lock’s patented MTL™500 platform. This creates a controlled, high-security system facilitating fire brigade access while allowing each housing provider to keep its own dedicated key system.
Fire brigade keys, which were historically widely available, led to instances of unauthorized use and entry
According to Nicky Crossman, Company Owner at DES Locksmiths, "The starting point for Golden Key was a clear risk where fire brigade keys had become too widely available, leading to unauthorized access. We needed a system to maintain immediate access for emergency services, while introducing patented control."
Accountable Access Management
The Golden Key system, integrated with Mul-T-Lock’s MTL500 platform, operates through a high-security master key structure. This model ensures that emergency services hold a specific access key, with each housing provider maintaining its dedicated system.
Such a design guarantees restricted, consistent, and traceable access over time. The MTL™500 mechanical platform supports structured key hierarchies and controlled duplication, making it suitable for evolving environments. Its patented system ensures authorized duplication, with record-keeping for secure and traceable access management.
Secure Access Solutions
The Golden Key is currently in use by fire services across London, Essex, Surrey, and Oxfordshire
More than 10,000 properties, particularly within social housing, have adopted the Golden Key system following early engagement from housing providers over the risks of uncontrolled key access.
The Golden Key is currently in use by fire services across London, Essex, Surrey, and Oxfordshire, with plans for wider regional implementation. The collaboration with authorities, including the Metropolitan Police, has established secure access solutions, and formal agreements with the London Fire Brigade would mark the first initiative of its kind in more than 30 years.
Ensuring Emergency Services
Dan Dodds, Mul-T-Lock Regional Sales Manager, stated: "The Golden Key initiative shows how important it is to get key control right from the start. It’s about having a clear, well thought-through approach from day one, rather than trying to fix things later."
He further emphasized the significance of the solution, noting, "It demonstrates how Nicky and the team at DES have taken a real issue and turned it into a solution that genuinely works, not just on paper. And our MTL™500 solution sits behind this, helping to keep the system effective, whilst ensuring emergency services can get in when they need to. It’s a simple, practical answer to a real problem."
