January 19, 1977

Residents urged not to use '911' emergency number

       White River Township Fire officials have issued a reminder to area residents that the “911” emergency number “should not be used in this (White River Township) area.” Fire Chief Bob Wehrman noted that calls dialed on 911 go directly to the Indianapolis emergency dispatcher, slowing down reaction time. Additionally, Wehrman noted, use of the line sometimes results in confusion, since two White River Townships border Marion County- one in Hamilton County and the other in Johnson County. Wehrman said a mix-up occurred last year, when a fire occurred White River Township, Hamilton. The Johnson County unit was notified and spent some time trying to locate a fire, since the address given was not familiar to them. In the meantime, Hamilton County fire officials were not notified, he said. Wehrman said persons needing emergency fire or rescue service in White River Township should contact the department through Greenwood Police dispatcher at 881-3600. He suggested that persons needing help should know their exact location by road numbers-not box or rural route numbers. “Some box numbers have changed,” as the area has grown, he said. “Some people don’t know where they do live,” Wehrman reported. To save time, he advises residents to write out directions to their home and post it by the telephone, giving the name of their housing addition and distance from relevant landmarks and county roads.  (Reprinted with permission of the Daily Journal)

 

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