Fort Wright is making it easier to reach emergency services for those in close proximity to City Hall.
The city installed an Emergency Call Box in December 2025 in the parking lot of their government building. Using this call box, anyone can call Fort Wright dispatch with just the press of a button.
Fort Wright has designated their city hall parking lot as a “Safe Internet Shopping Zone.” The city encourages online shoppers to conduct in-person transactions in this area. This parking lot is camera-recorded 24/7. Additionally, there are several phone boxes attached to the outside of the building, which can be used to call emergency services.
To make these interactions safer, they recently installed an emergency call box similar to those at Northern Kentucky University. It is a tall, blue box with a light on top, labeled “emergency.”
“Now, there is a free way for anyone close by to call dispatch, even if they don’t have a phone,” Fort Wright Police Chief Jonathan Colwell said. “An officer will be notified immediately when you press the button.”
Fort Wright is one of the only cities in Northern Kentucky to install one of these boxes.
“The whole idea came about partially because of the Safe Internet Shopping Zone,” Mayor Dave Hatter said. “Additionally, there is an enormous amount of traffic going through this area. The box is in a prominent location, it’s easy to see from the road. This is a quick and easy way to get immediate assistance.”