Tharptown VFD works to provide addresses
By Staff
Melissa Cason
THARPTOWN – The saying 'here's your sign' has a new meeting for the members of the Tharptown Volunteer Fire Department. The group is working to provide address signs for the county as a community service project.
"This project is about helping the community," Lt . John Gross, organizer, said. "The project's goal is to have a proper address sign at the roadside of every property in the district."
Gross said most residents do not have their addresses displayed on their mailboxes correctly, making it difficult for emergency responders to find residences quickly.
"Sometimes it might take us a few minutes longer to find a residence on a call," Firefighter Janice Pennington said. "Those are minutes that could mean the different between life and death."
Gross said driving up and down a road looking for a home or business could make the responder too late to be much of assistance.
Greg Masterson, owner of Tharptown Market, was the first to take advantage of the community service project.
"Greg knows how important it is for every home and business to be easily identifiable by emergency responders whether it's firefighters, paramedics or police officers in route to an emergency," Gross said.
The cost per sign is only $10.
"We have these signs a lot cheaper than anyone can go to a hardware store and buy them," Gross said. "We are happy to bring this project to our community,"
Signs can be ordered by completing the order form, and returning it to the Tharptown Volunteer Fire Department at 23 Highway 80 Russellville, AL, 35654 with a check or money order to the $10, or by dropping by the fire station on the second Saturday of the month.
Gross encourages everyone who has an address sign to check to make sure their address can be read plainly from both directions even at night.
"If you address can not be read from both directions, traveling 40 miles per hours on a dark and rainy night, you need to order a reflective 911 address sign from us," Gross said.
For more information, call 332-8230.
