Flashing lights can save lives

In some types of medical emergency, the faster an ambulance can arrive, the better chance the patient has of survival.

But a rural neighborhood sometimes poses challenges for ambulance, fire and law enforcement personnel. Homes may be located some distance from the road. Mailboxes may only be numbered on one side (the side seen by the postal carrier) in small, non-reflective numbers. If all the mailboxes are on one side of the road, it may not be immediately clear which mailbox goes with which home or driveway. An emergency vehicle which must slow down to check and double-check house numbers will be delayed in arriving.

New mapping technology gives emergency dispatchers more ways to guide crews to the right location, but doesn't solve the problem.

For years, local fire and EMS personnel have promoted the use of legible house numbers. Local volunteer fire departments and Bedford County Fire Department sell green signs with street numbers which can be mounted near a customer's driveway. Firefighters will even take care of installation.

"Those numbers are a big help, I can tell you," said Bedford County Fire Chief Mark Thomas.

The number signs can be ordered by calling Bedford County Fire Department at 684-9223.

Bedford County Emergency Medical Services director Chad Graham said numbers should be at least 2 inches tall and reflective.

"The challenge is when the house is not visible from the road or they have no mailbox," said Graham. If the location of the house is not clear, the numbers, with or without a mailbox, should be posted at the corner of the driveway.

County commissioner Bobby Vannatta, speaking at a recent county commission meeting, said he has adopted a technological solution, one he would recommend to others.

Vannatta, who has suffered from respiratory problems for several years, has installed a strobe light from a company called 911Light. The bright flashing light is easily seen from the road and makes it clear to any approaching ambulance crew which home needs assistance.

Another such device, the Westek HomeFinder by AmerTac is available to cause a home's regular porch light to blink on and off. The inexpensive device is screwed into the socket and then the light bulb is screwed into the device. To put the light into its flashing mode, the user simply flicks the switch on and off twice in succession.

One unique feature of the 911Light is that it doesn't need to be manually turned on. It is hooked into the home's land line telephone and detects when the emergency number 911 has been dialed on that line. (The unit does not detect or work with mobile phones.) It is also turned off by way of the telephone, by dialing a particular command code.

Vannatta praises the brightness and visibility of the strobe light and said it has been triggered twice since he's had it installed.

"Unless you're hidden behind a bunch of bushes or trees, there's no way you can't see it," he said.

"Overall this is a great tool to assist public safety in a prompt response," said Graham.