Addresses in several towns not consistent with 911 needs

VASSALBORO – Although countless lives and properties have been saved as a result of Maine’s Enhanced-911 system, not all users are reaping full benefits.

The reason, according to Albert E. Gervenack, director of the Emergency Services Communication Bureau, is that 24 towns have yet to convert from addresses in rural route style to street addresses, such as “56 Main St.”

When calling from a traditional wire line phone, E-911 service automatically displays a caller’s address on a computer screen at a local emergency call answering center known as a PSAP.

“When a person dials 911 from within a town that has not finished addressing, it can cause delayed emergency response,” Gervenack said in a statement recently. “In these situations, the address display will have, at best, an old street name or route number. If the caller is unable to provide directions to the dispatcher because they are unable to talk or are unfamiliar to the area, it could mean the difference between life and death.”

Towns as of today that have not completed addressing include: Brighton Plantation, Chester, Cranberry Isles, Crawford, East Machias, Eustis, Frenchboro, Gardiner, Harrington, Isle au Haut, Kingsbury Plantation, Machias, Medway, Mercer, Penobscot, Pittsfield, Pittston, Rangeley Plantation, Sedgwick, Starks, Tremont, Vinalhaven, West Forks Plantation and Woodville. The list does not include unorganized townships.