Georgetown, Del., May 15, 2007: Sussex County is using the power of television to educate residents about public safety, kicking off a 13-week advertising campaign this month to raise awareness about new 911 addresses and the need for telephone numbers at those locations for certain types of emergencies.
This spring, Sussex County completed its years-long effort to re-assign new addresses to more than 127,000 homes and businesses. The new addresses – a series of four or five numbers coupled with a road name – replace more vague and difficult-to-find rural route mailing addresses that Sussex Countians have used for decades.
The new addresses must be displayed outside homes and business so firefighters, paramedics and police can quickly find those locations in an emergency. Violators face the potential of fines for not properly displaying their 911 addresses.
Beginning this week, a 30-second commercial will air on local television stations WBOC TV-16, FOX 21, WMDT TV-47 and CW3. The commercial is expected to air through at least August, but could continue into the early fall, depending on public response, said Eddy J. Parker, director of the County’s Assessment Division.
The television commercial is part of a larger awareness campaign the County will conduct over the next few months to encourage residents and property owners to verify their new addressing information. Public service announcements have been distributed to area radio stations, and postcards soon will be mailed as reminders to residents and owners of the 42,000 properties that have, so far, not been verified.
“We hope to achieve two objectives: First, we want to make people aware of the importance of displaying the new 911 addresses that have been issued by the County,” Mr. Parker said. “Number two is to provide us with a telephone number to match that address so we can fully implement our enhanced 911 system.”
“We need to reach the public in as many ways as possible,” Mr. Parker added. “We believe the commercial and postcard mailers will be seen by a large audience that hopefully will recognize the importance of this project, and comply with the law.”
The television commercial depicts an emergency situation in which paramedics are unable to find a person in distress because the homeowner failed to perform two tasks -- display a valid 911 address, and link a telephone number with that address.
Donna Pusey, supervisor of the County’s 911 re-addressing project, said telephone numbers must be linked with the addressing data for the 911 system to work properly. But residents have to supply those telephone numbers so their addressing information will display on dispatchers’ computer screens.
“In certain emergencies, callers might not be able to speak or verbally give their location,” Mrs. Pusey said. “By having their addresses linked to a telephone number, our dispatchers will know their location simply by looking at the computer screen. Firefighters, paramedics and police then will be able to pinpoint that location, even if the caller cannot speak or respond.”
Residents and property owners who need to verify their 911 address information and link that information with their telephone numbers can call (302) 855-1176. Residents and property owners also can log onto the County website at sussexcountyde.gov.