When 911 is dialed are you ready for all that is going to happen from the time your fingers touch the keys to when responders arrive transporting you or a loved one out the door? Is your home, information and you prepared for this unscheduled event? How is early preparation able to decrease the response time once your call is received?
First step for responders to enter your home after the call is to be sure the front door is unlocked. Actually, that’s not quite right. Before the call or need arose had you thought about the visibility of your house numbers? The most overlooked life saving device you own are your house numbers! If you can’t see your house numbers at night, neither can 911.
For example, let’s say your numbers are easily seen. Can responders navigate their way to your door in the dark? For that matter can you do it? Or do you forget sometimes about that one small step?
Is the small step close to the door obscured by the outside light? If so, change the location of your outside light or put in lights at the base of the step(s). These are small obstacles since the step is only six inches tall, however the delay could be from an injured responder who could not see it during a nighttime response.
In entering or leaving a small step could be a hazard. Remember, if you forget you have a step and you live there, do you think responders will remember when trying to get a gurney out the door? Let’s hope so!