AKWESASNE — The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Emergency Planning Office is reminding Akwesasne residents that they are still verifying “9-1-1” addresses on the southern portion of the community.  They are continuing to ask for the assistance of home and business owners in clearly placing their addresses near the roadway, as well as on their house or building.

“Last fall, Emergency Planning Staff traveled throughout the community verifying addresses for Akwesasne homes and businesses,” said Tribal Sub-Chief Cheryl Jacobs. “At that time, they noticed a large number of people having their address properly displayed on the mailbox and house. This was good to see, as it saves precious minutes for first responders when they need to respond quickly to an emergency call.”

When Emergency Planning staff were in the field however, they encountered obstacles that will make it difficult or impossible for an ambulance, police or fire department to locate an individual in distress. They found some locations that had several mailboxes by the roadway with an address however, no address on the individual properties. They also encountered situations where there was no address on either, or a numbered mailbox with no building.

“We still have a way to go to ensure that all community members are prepared for an emergency,” said Emergency Planning Manager Diabo. “Every life matters to us, so we want to make sure people know the importance of having their ‘9-1-1’ address clearly visible in several locations. Emergency units will attempt to locate individuals by their physical address, so having your address by the road and on the house will help save your life.”

Community addresses are derived from Franklin County Emergency Services; which requires the coordination of critical services and information with tribal, county, and other emergency agencies. As a result, the Emergency Planning Office is verifying physical addresses to ensure the “9-1-1” database reflects the correct information. Individuals can obtain a “9-1-1” addresses for new homes and businesses by calling County Enumerator John Bashaw at (518) 483-2580.