From The Fire Chief PDF Print E-mail
Norwich Happenings
Written by Stephen Leinoff   
“Vermont 911, what is your emergency?” the dispatcher asks.

“Send help…my daughter is choking!” you say frantically. “Where are you calling from?” the dispatcher calmly answers.

“1276 Beaver Valley Road. Send help! She is choking!”

“Help is on the way…is she breathing at all?”

“Yes…She is wheezing and trying to talk… Hurry, hurry!”

“I want you to stay calm and I will give you first aid instructions.”

The dispatcher begins giving medical instructions and passes the call information to his colleague. He broadcasts a message over the emergency frequency, summoning the Hanover ambulance and Norwich Fast Squad to your address.

Several minutes pass, and after speaking with you, the dispatcher is confident your child is moving air. The fast squad members, police officer and ambulance are en route to your home. The first one arrives in the area and radios a question to the dispatcher: “Norwich Fast Squad is in the area. We are not sure which house it is. There are no numbers visible.”

The dispatcher replies, “I have the caller on the phone…I will ask…Norwich Fast Squad, the house is on the right side of the road; white with blue trim.” In an emergency seconds count. Emergency responders are often frustrated by not being able to quickly identify the location of the incident. Lack of a visible house number is often the problem. Please take the following steps to help emergency responders reach your location in an emergency:

Street numbers should be posted on the building, facing the road. For buildings that are not visible from the road, an additional street number should be placed where the driveway intersects the main road. House numbers should be at least four inches tall, clearly visible, and high enough to not be obscured by snow.

Mailbox numbers are not always effective. Sometimes they are visible from only one side. Occasionally mailboxes are clustered, and even and odd numbers are mixed, which can create confusion.

VT Enhanced 911 has a locatable address system. The address where the call originates displays on a map in the dispatch center. If you are unsure of your VT 911 address please contact us for assistance. Cell phone information will not display an address. Dispatchers always ask for the address. Many emergency calls are not placed from the scene of an incident. For example, a family member goes to a neighbor’s house to report a fire.

Make sure that property managers, alarm monitoring companies, guests, baby sitters, and house sitters know the address. VT-911 has been in existence since 1994; it was then that locatable street numbers were assigned. Most people have posted the correct numbers. There are still people who have not removed the old numbers or posted new numbers.

Do not assume “everyone knows where I live.” We have many new members who are not familiar with where “everyone lives.” Our primary ambulance service is from Hanover. Hartford and Lebanon may respond to Norwich when Hanover is unavailable.

Emergency responders are committed to providing rapid and quality care. Properly displayed street numbers help us provide rapid service. We are happy to answer questions about safety and how to display street numbers. For non-emergencies, we can be reached at 649-1133 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Phil Dechert serves as Norwich’s VT 911 coordinator. He can be reached at 649-1204 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Phil can assist you in determining the correct 911 address for your property, explaining the numbering system, and making corrections to the 911 system.