One of the other things I do is volunteer to get my neighborhood prepared to survive a disaster. This is only self-preservation in the woody hills where I live. What do you want first, a fire, earthquake, or just your regular heavy-rain-mudslide-trees-down-no-power.
But I don't have much street cred, so read this, from the blog of a practicing Emergency Medical Technician. (I think I got it right. EMTs are more highly trained than paramedics. I think. )
Is Your 911 Address Visible?
It is very frustrating when EMS responds to an emergency and they are unable to locate the residence because there are no house numbers visible from the road. Especially at night. And when we know that we are enroute to a real emergency--something that is life threatening where minutes truly do count--it makes it that much more frustrating.I can't count the times I have responded to emergencies only to ride back and forth looking for a house because there are no numbers visible from the roadway. We have to radio dispatch and have them call the residence back for specific landmarks, have someone meet us at the road or turn on lights so that they can signal us. This wastes precious time.
Read the rest Then mouse around and read more of her stuff. I like her company. Then, when you have done reading, go order up some solar power house lights.
If you can, order two solar powered house numbers, and hang one right near the front door, and one out at street-side. There are a number of dealers, here are a few.
The little fake boulders haven't been as satisfactory. They aren't bright enough, and the one in front of my house went to live with somebody else inside of a week.
Hey, what an idea. Give and install the lights to folks on your holiday list.
What a wonderful blog you have and kudos to you for helping your community prepare for disasters. Keep spreading the word. Thanks for the mention.
Did you by any chance see the house fire that I photographed?
Oh, and by the way -- EMT's come in several varities. HAHA!! There are EMT-Basics, EMT-Intermediates and EMT-Paramedics. Paramedics have more advanced training. Many states are beginning to combine Basics and Intermediates so this will do away with the Intermediate status leaving only EMT-Basics and Paramedics.
Enjoyed looking over your site. Have a nice day!
Posted by: medicmom | Tuesday, December 09, 2003 at 06:09 AM
little boulder thingys that have been all over places like costco and bed bath & beyond for about $30.00. They stay lit for about 3-4 hours after sunset. Not so satisfactory, spend 2x and have a sign that works all night.
Posted by: Liz | Monday, January 12, 2004 at 10:42 PM
I have had solar powered house numbers out front in our yard for a number of years, but I had never thought of how much it could help with emergency response personnel.
Posted by: Bruce Dyson | Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 12:46 PM