CRANBERRY LAKE -- The Cranberry Lake Fire and Rescue Department is kicking off a community project to give free reflective house numbering signs to every residence in the Cranberry Lake Fire District.

The project is in response to concerns that many homes in the community have no visible numbers, numbers that are hard to see at night, or are far from the road and difficult to see by fire and rescue personnel as they are responding to an emergency in the middle of the night.

“Seconds can mean the difference between life and death in a medical emergency,” according to fire chief Michael Dolan. “Our primary mission is to protect life and property, and we can’t do that if we can’t find your home,” he said.

In order to eliminate concerns the signs might change the character of the community, they are designed to conform with the Adirondack Park sign specifications of brown signs with reflective yellow numbers. The signs will be 6 by 18 inches with four-inch numbers.

“In past years we have had several instances where drivers had trouble finding a home,” said Dennis Gellasch, chairman of the project. “With these new signs properly installed, that will no longer be a problem. Out goal is to have 100 percent participation.”

Lakefront residents will receive a free sign for the roadfront but can purchase a second sign for their waterfront. “If we have a situation where a road is blocked and there is a medical or fire emergency, we’ll respond by fireboat. We still have to be able to find your property and we strongly urge lake residents to install a water sign,” Dolan said.

Applications for the free signs are available from the Cranberry Lake Fire Department or by calling 848-2937.

Many Cranberry Lake homes are not accessible by road and those homes will be offered a free sign as well. Typically, homes not accessible by road have not been assigned street numbers. That will change. Now with cellular telephone service available, numbers will be assigned to properties at the south end of Cranberry Lake and all developed island property.

Cranberry Lake Fire Department is separate from the Cranberry Lake Fire District. “No taxpayer money is being spent on this project,” Dolan said. “The firefighters are raising money separately for this project. Throughout the year we sponsor several events like the chicken barbecue and the ice fishing derby. This is a critical project that benefits the community and the department,” he said.

In addition to the free signs, Cranberry Lake Fire Department members will install the sign at no charge for elderly or disabled residents. “We want to make sure we can find every home in the community and we don’t want age or disability to be a barrier to participation.” Gellasch said.

It’s estimated the fire department will spend over $8,000 on the project. “This is among the most important investments the department has ever made in our community,” Dolan said. “It’s money well spent.”