By Becky Killian, Staff Writer
Washington County has four different roads named “County Line,” and it makes it difficult when emergency dispatchers are handling 911 calls from residents.
The possibility of changing the road names was discussed during the Tuesday, Aug. 6, meeting of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.
Evan Bridgewater, a Gibson Township resident, raised the concern about the confusion. He explained he called 911 when his wife experienced a medical emergency. When he gave the dispatcher the address he uses at the request of the U.S. Postal Service – which is County Line Road – the dispatcher couldn’t locate his home. Then he recalled the original street name given to him by the county when addresses were converted from rural routes to the current system – Scott County Line Road. Using that address, the dispatcher found his home and sent responders to it.
Bridgewater said his wife recovered from the emergency and that he was pleased with the county’s response. He asked if county officials could meet with Postal Service authorities to find a resolution that would prevent future confusion.
Commission President Phillip Marshall said he had a similar concern about confusing County Line addresses when he was a volunteer firefighter; however, changing road names can cause inconvenience to residents and can be costly for businesses.
The county’s dispatch director, Kelly Sargent, shared Marshall’s and Bridgewater’s concern. He said in addition to the County Line roads, some roads have similar sounding names that can also be difficult for dispatchers to discern.
It was noted these problems are shared by other counties and that it is unlikely the U.S. Postal Service would participate in any discussion to remedy the situation.
Officials agreed to further discuss the matter to try and find a solution.