With the number of functions that fire and emergency medical service agencies in East Jefferson County routinely provide, the Port Ludlow Fire District and JeffCom 911 have supplied The Leader with some tips on how the public can help first responders help them in turn.

Keppie Keplinger, public information officer for both agencies, noted they serve the community through fire suppression and prevention, responding to emergency medical needs, transporting patients to hospitals, and helping residents with more routine needs, from installing smoke alarms and changing batteries in existing alarms, to fire extinguisher training and other public education opportunities.

However, for either fire or law enforcement responders to arrive at specific locations in a timely manner, Keplinger advised that every building, whether it’s a residence or a business, should have an address sign placed at the entrance.

The signs are red with white reflective numbers, and can be obtained from the Jefferson County Department of Community Development (DCD), located at 621 Sheridan St. in Port Townsend.

According to the DCD’s website, the department maintains a master address database that is shared with the county’s 911 Dispatch Center, which allows operators to pull up maps that provide responders with specific directions to the caller’s address.

“And when you’re calling 911, the communications officer will ask you the location of the emergency, what the nature of your emergency is, your phone number and the number of people affected by the emergency, and their conditions,” Keplinger said. “Listen carefully to the questions being asked of you, so the appropriate response team can be notified and deployed to your location.”

Keplinger explained that the information callers provide allows the communications officer to quickly relay short messages to the appropriate responders.

“Based on the information you provide, both fire and law enforcement responders know from experience what additional help they may need when responding to help you,” Keplinger said. “Staying on the phone and answering the Communications Officer’s questions will not delay a response to your emergency.”

Regardless of what county you live in or are calling from, JeffCom Director Karl Hatton advised prospective 911 callers to be aware of the location of the emergency.

“The first question we ask is, ‘Where is your emergency?’” Hatton said. “Always pay attention to what road you’re on, and what milepost you’re at. In the old days of 911 calls, we’d usually get a single call from a land line. Now, 80% of our calls are from cell phones, often 10 or 12 at a time, and we sort through who seems to have the best information and location. If the address is unfamiliar, we’ll ask what county.”