Welcome to Spring, Theodore Dawes, or is it? I have seen it snow in our area as late as the first week in April, so go figure. With all the record breaking highs of late it’s hard to tell just what Mother Nature has in store for us. As time continues to clip by us all at a rapid pace, I’m sure many will embark on their annual Spring cleaning around our humble abodes. I know my wife has a list of honey do’s for me as long as I am tall. But you know, it’s things that need to be done because over time I like many others have let things get a little out of control and they need to be reeled back in to keep the varmint activity done around my shed and other places around the house.
As you embark on your Spring cleaning adventures, your Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue department would like to ask that you make just one thing a part of your chores. That one request is that you check on your street number. What I mean by that is, do you have your street number
visible from the road? Many times, when emergency responders are coming to your call for assistance, we can sometimes be delayed because we are not able to locate a street number. Unless someone is out flagging down the emergency responders or your home is blazing, God forbid, without a street number you may be difficult to locate. Many locations have nothing to indicate their street address from the road, including large businesses. Just the other day we were out, me and our Fire Administrator, Bonita Tanner, checking on some properties. Even in the broad daylight we had difficulty locating the correct properties due to no street numbers visible
from the road. One such property was not being checked but we had to ask someone on sight what their physical address was. This was during daytime hours, now imagine if you will, it’s 2-o’clock in the morning on a not so well-lit street. Again, if someone it not out flagging us down or there are visible flames, we will be delayed locating you. Time matters in both critical medical situations and fires.
So, we ask that everyone take a minute, spend a couple of bucks, and make sure your street number is visible for emergency responders. Be it painted on your street curbing in a neighborhood, on your mailbox, or located on your house. A street number that is large enough,
legible, and clearly visible, will help responders find you quicker and addressing your emergency issue faster. The Theodore Dawes Fire Rescue Department thanks you for your continued support of this department and are privileged to provide our community with the best possible service we can.
Sincerely,
Chief Byrd