Emergency Locksmith in Cincinnati, OH

Call 911 first when people are at risk

Some situations belong with police, fire or medical help before any lock work:

• a child, an older person or a pet trapped in a car or a building
• a break-in, especially if someone may still be inside; leave, call the police and let them clear the building first
• fire, a gas smell or an injury

Once everyone is safe and the police have finished, the urgent job is usually getting a damaged door to close and lock again.

What makes a lock problem urgent here

• Deep cold. NOAA's summary counts about six nights a year at 0°F or lower in Ohio. A door that will not shut on such a night is a heating and safety problem, not only a security one.
• Humid heat. In muggy summer weather, being locked out of a home or a car can become a health matter.
• Storms. Since the mid-1990s, NOAA reports, 2-inch extreme rain events have risen significantly. A storm can knock a frame out of square and leave a door that will not latch.
• Snow emergencies. Cincinnati follows the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office snow emergency levels, and Level 3 prohibits travel unless absolutely necessary. If your home is warm and secure, a lock repair can wait for the level to drop.

After a break-in

Walk every entry point once police allow it. Cincinnati's rental inspection guide, for the program under Municipal Code Section 1127-07, expects locking devices on windows within 10 feet vertically above grade, or within 6 feet horizontally of an accessible surface; the same check suits any home. If keys were taken, have the locks they open rekeyed or replaced. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to send

• whether everyone is safe, and the police report number if there is one
• the street address, neighborhood and nearest cross streets
• what is wrong: a forced door, a split frame, a lock that will not turn, stolen keys
• whether the door can be closed at all
• photos of the damage

The emergency locksmith page explains the service, and the Cincinnati page has the city's snow and inspection notes.