Ash Grove Fire makes push for residents to display addresses

Locating emergency quickly can be matter of life or death
 

The Ash Grove Fire Protection District is encouraging local residents to post their address numbers at their homes to make it easier for first responders to find them in the event of an emergency, and towards this end, are providing locals with a way to purchase red-and-white number signs that can be posted where they live. The signs cost $25 and can be ordered through the district using an order form that is available at the Ash Grove City Hall or can be downloaded from the district’s Facebook page.

Signs can save valuable time for first responders
Jackson Jones, a member of the district’s board of directors, said that by posting the signs, residents will save first responders valuable time which could make the difference in whether a life is saved or lost.
“When seconds count, (and) emergency responders are minutes away, how many minutes are acceptable to add to an emergency response due to address confusion?” he said. “Is a life or your belongings worth the cost of a $25 or $30 sign? We think zero minutes is acceptable, but we need your help to quickly locate your address.”
If first responders must rely on technology, such as a mapping app on a cell phone, it is not guaranteed that the app won’t direct them to the wrong location. For that reason, Jackson said, having a visible address sign is imperative.
“It is hit or miss, especially in the rural part of the county, on mailboxes being properly marked,” he said. “It is always helpful when we can quickly identify an address without a lot of trouble. First responders use the same mapping software that is available on any smart phone. If your address doesn’t map correctly, we will have trouble finding you in an emergency.”

Fire trucks can be hard to turn around in rural settings
Jones provided an example of how technology sent AGFPD firefighters to the wrong location one time, and the headaches that created.
“I was with our first responders in route to a medical emergency last fall,” he said, “and our mapping showed an address in the middle of a field almost a quarter of a mile beyond the driveway we needed to respond to. Driving a fire engine, we had to go past the call address nearly a mile to find an intersection that was adequate to turn the truck around in. That added several minutes to a call that could have been avoided with proper markings. Our trucks are oversized and often cannot be quickly, easily be turned around.”

Other benefits from the signs
Beyond emergencies, Jackson said, the signs can also be helpful in a variety of other situations.
“This will also benefit utilities, law enforcement, public works, road and bridge crews and even package deliveries,” he said. “We see lots of people having package deliveries left at the wrong house, so the positives go beyond just emergency situations.”
There is no deadline for ordering the signs, Jackson said, though he also said that while the signs are being sold at cost, he couldn’t guarantee that the price wouldn’t go up in the future. He also said they are trying to collect as many orders as possible to save on shipping fees. He estimated the time between ordering and delivery to be one or two months.

Red and white show uniformity, Pirate Pride
As to why the fire department chose red and white to be the colors of the signs, Jackson said there were a few reasons.
“Most communities have residents displaying 911 address signs with multiple colors,” he said. “Some blue, some green, some red. Honestly, it is a personal preference, however, the three primary reasons we chose red with white is No. 1, uniformity, so first responders get accustomed to looking for those colors; No. 2, we believe it helps emergency responders recognize when they are in the Ash Grove Fire District; and lastly, we wanted to show our Pirate Pride.”

Info box:
For more information, call the AGFPD at (417) 751-3300 or go their Facebook page.