KITSAP – Beginning next week, residents in unincorporated areas of Kitsap County may receive letters from the Kitsap County Department of Community Development notifying them their address is scheduled to be corrected. These changes are meant to bring all addresses into compliance with Washington state mandates that include the implementation of Next Generation 911, a new emergency response dispatch system.
The county currently has about 9,000 addresses out of compliance that need to be resolved before NG911 becomes operational the end of 2017. In collaboration with Central Communications, Kitsap fire districts and cities, the county is helping create a countywide common database of addresses that allows for more accurate Geographical Information Systems applications. The information used in this database is significantly more detailed than the existing address location database used at Central Communications today. NG911 is designed to assist in terms of a natural or manmade disaster where an outside call center can dispatch first responders from within or outside the county. Having the address follow NG911 protocols facilitates a timely response.
Easy-to-find addresses also make lives safer for citizens when emergency responders are able to find them quickly and efficiently, saving crucial minutes. Other delivery services such as the U.S. Postal Service and Federal Express will be better able to serve their customers, and Global Positioning Systems will be more accurate in providing locations.
“Changing one’s address can be a daunting prospect for certain. But correcting your address is crucial for public safety,” said Rob Gelder, chair of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners. “With support from the county in notifying utilities and delivery services, our hope is that it’s as smooth as possible for those being affected. Being able to meet the deadline for system implementation is key to providing a highly accurate first-response system in the future.”
NG911 is an enhanced telephone network technology to replace the low-speed data transmission system currently in use that was designed in the 1960s. The new system will have the capacity for processing data such as text messages, photos and videos that those in an emergency might use or in natural disaster planning and recovery.
Since 2009, the county has corrected nearly 6,000 addresses and now launches a renewed effort to complete the project. The first priority for corrections are those addresses identified as problematic after emergency and law enforcement responded to 911 calls. School districts, Kitsap Transit and other agencies have also helped pinpoint addresses that are hard to find or out of logical numerical sequence.
Corrections will also be made to the many addresses in the county assigned before current conventions for addressing were in place. As new roads were added and cities incorporated county land, many of the older addresses do not match up with newer ones. In other areas, road names and directional such as NE/SE may be inconsistent along a grid line.
To help residents with the address corrections, Kitsap County set up a website providing more information, maps and answers to frequently asked questions. Citizens affected by these changes may also order blue address signs for their new addresses from the county at no charge. For more information, visit http://www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/building/addressing/acp/Home.html or contact the County at 360-337-5777.
