The Province of Prince Edward Island has entered the next stage of its 911 project by working in cooperation with the City of Summerside to verify the city's civic addresses to support full 911 implementation in July 2000.
The Summerside phase of the civic addressing process follows a schedule which has already involved Stratford, Emyvale and Charlottetown.
Consistent civic addresses are the key link to make the 911 system work effectively and to enable more efficient dispatch of emergency services by displaying callers names and linking them to their address. The 911 Emergency Response System is dedicated to more efficient dispatch of emergency services and location of callers in distress.
"Most properties in the City of Summerside currently have their own civic addresses, which simply have to be validated," says Amand Arsenault, the province's 911 Coordinator. "Residents will notice a specially marked vehicle travelling through Summerside during the validation process. This vehicle will be using state-of-the-art Global Position Technology (GPS) to speed up their part of the civic address process. Eventually these validated addresses will be used to create a dedicated ‘911 Address' for each property -- a critical step in building the 911 system."
The current addressing system in Summerside will be used as 911 addresses. Mr. Arsenault notes, "We are working in close cooperation with city planners to identify duplicate street names that might have to be changed to minimize risk to public safety. After the initial audit of Summerside addresses is done we will have a better idea if duplicate, or similar sounding street names exists."
Mr. Arsenault notes the City will then consider whether street names need to be changed. If changes are required, residents will be given an opportunity to influence the selection of the new name. "It is crucial that all potential conflicts are eliminated when it comes to civic addressing and emergency response," says Arsenault.
This phase of the 911 project is a joint initiative involving representatives of the City of Summerside's police, fire and planning departments. These groups have been working closely with the 911 Project Team to prepare for implementation. City residents are reminded to verify that their civic address number is properly posted and visible from the curbside. Property owners are encouraged to ensure that:
- Numbers are made from reflective material;
- The number colour contrast from background colour;
- Numbers are positioned under the outside light;
- Numbers are large enough to be seen at a distance (curbside);
- Numbers are not blocked by vegetation.
If residents do not have a civic address house number or do not know what it is, they are asked to call the City at 432-1262.
The 911 Project Team together with the City of Summerside emphasize the importance of this province wide project by noting that, "We can't help you, if we can't find you."
For more information on the province's 911 Emergency Response Project, call toll-free 1-877-257-4911.
For more information, contact Amand Arsenault, 911 Provincial Coordinator, (902) 888-8000.