(This article was published in the Village Pump dated August 1, 2003.)
Samford First Responders
ACCURATE PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION GETS US THERE FASTER!
Emergency services, whether they be police, fire or ambulance, rely on accurate information from the caller about the location of the incident to ensure they dispatch the most appropriate vehicles and resources directly to you. The responding vehicles can only rely on the address information provided to quickly find the incident.
Particularly in rural areas there can be multiple lot numbers and other markings for the address of a property that will confuse emergency vehicles. Since commencing operation in February this year the Samford First Responders have responded to over 100 calls for assistance. We have often experienced calls to "Lot 1 of XYZ Road", only to find that Lot 1 isn't at the beginning (or end) of the road, and worse that there are several Lot 1's in the same road!! In life threatening situations seconds really do count, and the time wasted trying to identify the correct location can be critical.
Many major roads in rural areas have been equipped with Rural Road Numbering (RRN) markers (yellow posts with reflective numbers at each driveway). These are unique in a road and also indicate the distance from the start of the road, allowing fast location of a property entrance by the Samford First Responders and other emergency services. If you have an RRN marker, PLEASE only use your unique RRN when requesting assistance from emergency services. If you don't have an RRN, if you have a lot number, always tell the emergency operator something else to help identify the location of your driveway.
If you have either a Rural Road Number, Council allocated house number and/or a lot number you may wish to consider only signing your property with one of the most accurate and unique of these numbering systems. Finding lot numbers and house numbers at night is often difficult, so it is preferable if your markings are clearly visible and preferably reflective.
Samford First Responders provide a volunteer emergency response with the QAS to medical emergencies in the Samford and surrounding districts. Please visit www.SamfordFRG.aesvn.org for more information.