West Pierce Fire & Rescue Receives Award For Lake Addressing Program

Editor's note: This information comes via a news release from West Pierce Fire & Rescue.

On Monday morning at the Washington State Drowning Prevention Network meeting at Seattle Children’s Hospital, West Pierce Fire & Rescue was awarded the 2012 Tom Warren Innovation Award for the Lake Addressing Program. This program for the department that covers Lakewood and University Place has been ongoing since the summer of 2010 and is still in the works.

The program is designed to help those in need of calling 911 a reference point while on the lakes.  When calling from a boat on the water, they are able to look to the nearest dock or buoy that is labeled with a number.  The 911 dispatcher is then able to cross reference that number to a house that is nearby in order to send emergency response vehicles to the proper location.

This program has been implemented on Gravelly Lake and is currently being done on American Lake. The program has been very helpful for our crews to respond efficiently. 

West Pierce Fire & Rescue would like to thank the Washington State Drowning Prevention Network for their acknowledgement.