Emergency services hindered by lax homeowners

When a citizen dials 911, more than likely they are in distress and need immediate help. Why, then, are so many homeowners and renters so casual about marking their residences with a clear address? Recently, Happy Valley firefighters responded to an accident at a home on Oak Street. Driving directly from home, one firefighter was appalled to find so many unmarked mailboxes along the route. The CHP unit also flew past the residence, siren and lights reflecting the urgency. The medical unit had to turn around and retrace its movements in order to get to the patient.

Oak Street, however will not be singled out. Many mailboxes throughout the community are unmarked or obstructed by bushes or tree branches. Emergency personnel can only do so much without the help of the people they seek to aid. Here are some suggestions to make your home easier to locate.

Even though the person who delivers the mail always approaches from the same direction, emergency vehicles could be coming from anywhere. Make sure your address is on both sides of your mailbox. Use large, reflective numbers. Remember, many emergencies occur after dark. Headlights will illuminate your address easily. Numbers on your house may be helpful. But at night, a spotlight would be required to see them, thus slowing down rescuers.

If your mailbox is on a different street than your home, make sure the road is clearly marked. For instance, an address on China Gulch could belong to a home on Karma Lane. This can be confusing, especially to law enforcement or ambulance crews who are not that familiar with Happy Valley. Give clear directions to the 911 operator.

A few weeks ago, aid was requested from both Anderson and West Valley to help fight a structure fire in Happy Valley. Tree branches obscured the street name, causing a delay in response time.

Another suggestion regards your neighborhood. It could prove valuable to have a list of the addresses of the neighbors closest to you. In case of an emergency, you could give the exact address to the 911 operator, rather than reporting its approximate location.

Now, go outside and take a look around. If you needed help right now, could you be easily located? If the answer is yes, that is good for you. If the answer is maybe not, then the problem has an easy remedy. Take a little time to possibly save a home or even a life. You will be glad you did.