News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County’s emergency services is in charge of assigning public roads and lanes, but how does the process work.
White County E-911 Director Suzy Haston said a lane is named when there are two or more structures on a driveway, or is 1,750 feet long. The rest are considered public roads.
“Public roads are marked with a green sign that we all see everywhere,” Haston said. “Now when a lane is assigned, then that can be a circle or trail or a lane. The residents of that lane are responsible of the up keep the lane. Then, lanes are marked with a blue sign.”
Haston said the White County Commission is in charge of changing public road names. Then, the steering committee must approve it and check with emergency services and the post office for any conflicts. Hatson said constantly updating road assignments allows emergency services to shorten response times.
“The private lane assignments, we have to make sure that all the residents on that driveway that is turning into a lane agree on the name, and they are okay with that fact you are changing their address to a lane.”
Haston said the only issue the public faces with name changes is updating driver’s licenses and permanent addresses.
The emergency office uses a Multiple Street Access Guide system that provides the fastest routes for EMS vehicles. Haston said part of maintaining the MSAG system is measuring the roads.
“There is a formula that we use to measure that road to see how long it is, and then we use that same formula to put the numerics, the address points,” Haston said. “So that way we know if exactly by the numeric-say if you’re at 5000 Main Street that we would say ‘go to the 5000 block of Main Street.'”
Sometimes if a road name change occurred, there can be some confusion if the state has not accepted it fast enough and Google has not updated the GPS system. Haston said there is nothing the 911 department can do to quicken the process.
