We've been enjoying the nice fall weather. The rain will be welcome today, as well. Any excuse that helps keep me from feeling guilty I'm not outside getting the flower beds ready for winter! I've been doing a little every once in a while, but when I'm writing, it's easy to forget (or ignore) real work and bury myself in the moment. However, I've been out to do a little here and there, and yesterday Fred and I took a walk and when we came back along the walkway in front of our house, I noticed I hadn't taken care of the branches I'd pruned out of the lilacs and ornamental apple trees, and the perennial pea vines I'd pulled out were still in a heap on the terrace. I gathered them up and took care of them - Fred recorded it for posterity! Jane DOES work in her flower gardens!
     This morning I remembered that when we got our E-9-1-1 sign, I told Dean Deasy (assistant fire chief in Cabot) I would mention how easy it is to get these all-important signs from the fire department. I hadn't really forgotten, it just slipped my mind when I was writing on the blog recently. So this morning I thought about it and went down to get a picture of our sign. The process is very easy. I just emailed them, postmaster@cabotfiredept.com,
Dean responded right away, was able to verify the number I gave him was correct (he said it's amazing how many people still are using a wrong E-9-1-1 number or even their old street address number!) and told me the sign would cost $10. About two weeks later he brought it to us and told us where the best place was to place it at the end of our driveway. The pressure-treated post cost a few dollars and attaching the sign was easy - we had a piece of scrap lumber that we attached because the sign has pre-punched holes that were just a bit too far apart to fit on the 4x4 post. Then it took Fred a few minutes to dig a hole for the post - it was hard to find a spot that wasn't rock filled or ledge - but overall, it was a pretty simple process to get it set.
     For people who have a garage or other building closer to the road, the sign could go right on the building - horizontally or vertically. It just should be facing the main road squarely so emergency vehicle crews well be able to spot it easily. They are reflective, and Dean said that flash of color is what the crews are looking for - then they note the number and that is crucial in saving precious time in an emergency. Without that sign, even though you may have a large one with your number on it, they could miss it if it doesn't show up clearly at night.
     So get in touch and get your E-9-1-1 sign put on your house or somewhere  near the road so emergency crews can spot your place if/when needed.

     If you are on the Danville side of the pond, call the fire department at 802-684-2264. I'm pretty sure they have the same procedure in place to get those signs to you. You'll be glad you did, especially if there should be an emergency. Besides that, it's very nice to have that sign planted in the right place so others can find you such as delivery people or out-of-town guests. It's especially important for people around the pond who may have hidden driveways. It might require two signs - one on the main highway at the end of your camp road and one actually at your camp, but that's better than wasting time trying to give directions in an emergency, right?

     And here's another thought - wherever you live, it would be a good idea to check with your fire department to find out about these signs. Emergencies happen everywhere and responders need to be able to find you in order to help!