How fast can the fire truck get to your house?
Citizens help determine that response time.
Bibb County communities have had access to the 911 numeric address system for many years and yet many people still do not have a reflective address sign on their property. Local fire departments, law enforcement and ambulance services are sometimes delayed in their response time to different residences and businesses because they can not locate a property quickly.
Address signs and detailed directions are very important during emergencies. Reflective address signs are available for a nominal fee of 15 to 20 dollars and can be ordered from various businesses and local fire departments. Signs can be attached to a mail box, paper box, front fence or the exterior of a building …..somewhere in easy sight of emergency responders. The price and effort to obtain proper signage is a small price to pay if your house is on fire, someone in your family is having a medical emergency or you need law enforcement to come to your rescue.
If you do not know your physical 911 address you can work with the Bibb County E-911 Office to determine and verify your official address. Kirk Smith, EMA Director for Bibb County told The Bibb Voice that “one of the problems that he encounters in rural Bibb County often is that homeowners do not verify their assigned 911 address before they put address numbers on their rural mailboxes, causing additional confusion for responders. A lot of the problems come from the public being unaware of the importance of having a 911 address. Having a valid E911 address is needed for timely emergency response for Police, Fire and Medical.
Kirk Smith and Renae Thompson of the E911 office provided this information: “The way to receive a valid E911 address should be to go by the E911 Business Office and complete the form that is required. After completion of the form E911 personnel will conduct a field verification to be able to issue the 911 address. The numbering of addresses are calculated by a distance measuring instrument. The locations of intersections, main roads and which side of a roadway the home is located play an important role in the addressing process. After the field verification has been completed the new 911 address will be placed in the database that E911 Dispatchers use. The dispatchers will have the ability to pull up a map showing the exact location of the home.”
Please DO NOT CALL the 911 emergency number to get your address as this is an emergency number only. The Business number is 205.926.1911.
The E911 address application form is available at this link. Download & Print.
Once you know your physical address you can proceed ahead with contacting your choice of business or fire department to order a sign. Local fire departments who provide these signs are Brent Fire Department at (205) 926-4643 or Brierfield Fire Department at (205) 665-3060.
In addition to knowing and posting your physical address you also need to be familiar with your surroundings. Should you have an emergency it is very helpful to give 911 operators additional details regarding nearby landmarks, businesses, churches or even the names of well known neighbors. It is also helpful to describe the color of your house or what type of automobiles are parked on your property.
Fire departments in Bibb County are operated by VOLUNTEERS who receive no pay or compensation, give up their personal time, get out of bed during the middle of the night and leave their work duties during the day to respond to your emergency call.
Please help our fire fighters and all first responders in their efforts to serve our community by preparing ahead for potential emergencies……MINUTES MATTER! Please be sure that your property is properly identified with visible signage and correct numbering.
This is a public service message from the Volunteer Firefighter Community in Bibb County, Alabama.
Our Thanks to E911 & Bibb County EMA.
