COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has declared September 27, 2010 First Responder Appreciation Day in honor of the men and women who work to save the lives of Colorado citizens.
As part of the celebration, the professional Paramedics and EMTs of American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance service are asking families and businesses to be sure their mailbox addresses and building numbers are easy to read from the street both day and night. Mailbox and house numbers are critical landmarks for all first responders, including ambulance crews, when responding to emergencies.
AMR offers the following tips to ensure crews can find your house or building during an emergency:
- Repaint or replace faded mailbox and house numbers.
- Use numbers that have a high contrast with the background color they’re placed against.
- Numbers and letters should be at least four inches tall.
- Place numbers on both sides of mailboxes.
- Place numbers where they won’t be blocked by trees, shrubs or other objects and trim plants so numbers are easy to read from the street.
“Emergency crews are expected to know the area they serve very well, but they may never have been to your particular turn-off or cul-de-sac,” said Tawnya Silloway, Emergency Medical Technician. “Emergency first responders use advanced technology, good maps and the directions provided by dispatchers when responding to emergency calls, but a clearly marked mailbox or building number is always invaluable.”
The inability to verify an address can result in delays. “Your rescuers can’t help you until they find you,” Silloway added.
If a house or building number is painted on the curb, those numbers should also be placed elsewhere higher on the building. Vehicles parked next to the curb, piles of leaves and even running water can prevent emergency crews from spotting numbers painted on curbs.
American Medical Response Inc. (www.amr.net), America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 38 states and the District of Columbia. AMR’s 17,500 paramedics, EMTs and other professionals transport nearly four million patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. Operating a fleet of approximately 4,500 vehicles, AMR, a subsidiary of Emergency Medical Services Corporation, is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo.
CONTACT:
American Medical Response Inc.
Tawnya Silloway, 719-597-1277 ext 142
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Colorado
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Hospitals Other Health General Health
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