A flyer distributed to Warriors Mark area residents by their local fire company told homeowners: “If we can’t find you, we can’t help you.”
The volunteers with the Warriors Mark-Franklin Fire Co. used the flyer and other advertisements to inform the public about a fund-raiser which has helped implement the use of newly assigned 911 addresses and benefited the company.
The Huntingdon County Planning and Development Department, which is overseeing the 911 mapping of the county, suggested the fund-raiser to the company as residents were being given 911 addresses last year. The idea was for the company to take orders for house numbers and put together signage to be placed on mail boxes or yard posts.
“It went really well. We sold a little over 250 signs,” said Mark Catherman, president of the fire company.
The fire company ordered the green metal signs from U.S. Municipal Supply near Huntingdon then placed white, Scotch Lite lettering according to orders from property owners. The fund-raiser continues as orders come in. The company included the flyers in its annual mailing to residents.
“It probably raised in the neighborhood of $3,500,” said Catherman.
The fire company had roughly $2,000 in materials cost. Company volunteers took orders for the signs, at $20 each, and Catherman, with help from his father, lettered the signs. He said at first it took an hour to do one sign. But practice brought the assembly time down to 15 minutes each.
The Cathermans even included for customers a bracket they designed for ease in putting up the house numbers and mailbox markers. Three-inch letters are used on the signs.
“They’re green and white. Highly visible daylight or dark,” said Catherman.
The Warriors Mark, Franklin and Morris townships area comprise Region 1 of six regions and was the first to receive the new addresses. Catherman encourages residents who have received their new, 911 address to clearly mark their homes.
“You can’t rely on that old address,” he said.
Catherman pointed out to The Daily Herald, that standard signage is mandatory in some municipalities, such as in the Lancaster area.
Catherman recently visited the Stone Creek Valley Fire Co. with Brian Young, a planner and GIS (geographic information systems) technician with Huntingdon County Planning and Development Department, to suggest the sign fund-raiser to those volunteers. He said residents or firefighters with questions about the sign project can reach the Warriors Mark-Franklin Volunteer Fire Co. at 632-7011.
“It helped the residents and it helped the firefighters raise money for the fire department,” said Young. “It’s a very good project.”
The planning department reports it’s critical for residents to display their new house number so that it can be seen day or night. Residents whose house number is not clearly visible from the street, should put an additional number at the end of their lane or driveway.
