If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.
A Stolen Bag, a Changed Garage Code and a Remote Nobody Thought About
The first fix isn't always the one that matters. Here's a typical example from a townhome south of the Medical Center.
A little after nine at night, a respiratory therapist got home to her townhome after a shift that had started with her bag disappearing from a cafeteria table at lunch. Inside the bag: her wallet with her license showing her address, her house keys and her car keys. Her car keys were the spare set, thankfully, and she'd driven home with the other. Hospital security had taken a report, and she'd called the police too.
Driving home, she'd done what seemed sensible. She'd changed the garage keypad code from her phone app. She'd planned to wedge a chair under the front door knob for the night. It wasn't until she pulled into the garage that she noticed the garage remote clip on her visor was empty. The remote had been on her key ring, in the bag. The new keypad code didn't matter if whoever had her bag also had the remote.
She called us from the kitchen. Our dispatcher was gentle and thorough. Was she safe, and was the house locked? Yes, and she'd checked every room. What was on the stolen ring? House key for the front door and the door from the garage, the garage remote and a mailbox key. Had the police been called? Yes, and she had a report number. The dispatcher explained that changing the keypad code had been a good start, but the remote needed to be cleared from the opener, and the house locks rekeyed tonight. She could unplug the opener until then. He confirmed the technician was heading over.
The technician pulled up in uniform and held up his ID. He checked her other ID, a passport, against a utility bill on her phone, since her license was gone. He rekeyed the front deadbolt and handle set and the garage entry deadbolt with his pinning kit. The garage entry cylinder didn't accept new pins cleanly at first; a worn spring had to be replaced. Then he cleared every remote from the opener's memory, re-paired her remaining one and confirmed the old remote code no longer worked.
He cut four keys and tested each. The reassuring advice: when keys are stolen, list everything on the ring, including remotes, before deciding what to change.
What to Do When Keys or a Door Are Compromised
Assume Someone Will Try the Keys
Keys stolen together with an ID showing your address are an invitation, even if most thieves never use it. Lock every door, walk through the house with the lights on and call 911 if anything looks disturbed. Then call us, and don't wait for morning.
Stolen Keys Locksmith Checklist
A stolen keys locksmith visit starts with a list: every key on the ring, every remote, every card and every code. Each one gets changed, rekeyed or cleared. Missing one is how a quick fix turns into a second incident.
Stolen Garage Remote
A stolen garage remote opens the garage, and from there, often the door into the house. Changing the keypad code doesn't stop the remote. Clear all remotes from the opener's memory, or unplug it until someone can.
New Pins Before You Sleep
An emergency rekey tonight takes each cylinder apart at the door, swaps the pins and cuts fresh keys to match, so the stolen ones turn nothing. Worn springs or damaged cylinders found along the way get fixed or replaced on the spot, as with the garage entry lock in the example above.
When the Door Itself Was Forced
A locksmith after break in starts once officers have finished. The forced door gets secured first, usually with a steel plate over the split jamb and long screws into the framing. Then every other door and window lock is checked, because forced entries are often preceded by a few quieter attempts.
Car Keys Stolen Too
If car keys were stolen, the car can be driven by whoever has them. Ask us about erasing those keys from the car, and see lost car key replacement.
When Your ID Was Stolen
We still need to confirm your address. A passport, another resident's ID, a lease or a utility bill on your phone, plus the police report number, all work.
After a Theft at Work
Hospital security can help with reports and camera footage. Tell your employer if a badge was stolen so it can be deactivated.
The Next Day
Cancel cards, replace your license, change any codes you missed and consider a keypad deadbolt so future key changes are just a new code.
Car Break-Ins in Surface Lots
Cars broken into in surface lots near the hospitals often lose garage remotes, house keys and paperwork showing an address. Treat it the same as a stolen bag: list everything, rekey tonight and clear the remote.
Coming To You Across the Medical Center
The call goes to a dispatcher, who sends a technician to your address in the Medical Center. Evenings after the shift change are usually quick around the Medical Center, Braeswood Place and Southgate. Game and concert nights at NRG Park slow roads to the south.
Patient Help After a Long Shift
Your technician shows up in uniform and introduces himself with his ID. They know you've likely had a long, upsetting day, so they explain clearly, work efficiently and make sure every key, remote and code is covered before leaving.
Licensed and insured, Fast Locksmith 24/7 carries 5 stars on Google from Houston customers.
Emergency Calls Around the Medical Center
Emergency calls near the Medical Center come from staff whose bags or keys were stolen at work, car break-ins in surface lots and garages, forced doors in townhomes and houses in Braeswood Place and Southgate, and visiting families whose rentals were entered. As an emergency locksmith near the Medical Center, our goal is a home that locks tonight with keys only you hold. If you're searching for an emergency locksmith near me after a theft, call and tell us what was taken. Thefts from cafeterias, break rooms and cars in surface lots are the most common starting points for these calls, and the steps afterward are the same in each case.
Emergency calls near the Medical Center usually involve a forced door, a stolen key, a lock that will not secure after a break-in or a person shut out at night. The first job is to make the property safe.
If you think someone is inside, call 911 first. We come after the police have cleared the area.
Take photographs of the damage before anything is moved.
Once the door is secure, we talk about the next step. A rekey or lock change stops old keys from working.
If the repair needs a part we do not carry, we secure the door temporarily and arrange the proper fix.
Keep a copy of the police report number with your receipt. Insurers usually ask for it.
We also provide emergency service in Midtown, Meyerland and West University Place. For keying changes later, see rekey service, and for a stronger bolt, deadbolt installation.
Estimated Technician Arrival Time
Arrival times vary depending on your location and technician availability.
Actual arrival time may vary depending on your exact location, traffic conditions, time of day, current demand, and technician availability.
Providing your exact vehicle location when calling allows us to give you a more accurate estimated arrival time.