After disasters...

[kengr]

Interesting point on the news. They were talking to someone and he explained that the first thing they do after dealing with injured people is start replacing street signs.

It was explained that it's *important* for both folks who live (or lived) in the devastated areas but also for first responders (police, fire, ambulance, etc) to be able to *find* places. And for folks asking for help to be able to tell where they are.

Not something you'd normally think of.

Also an example of how something that may seem a frivilous use of resources is anything *but*.

Comments

[stickmaker.livejournal.com]

Yes. Street signs are important in emergencies. Take it from a professional transportation engineer who worked on a project to help first responders get where they need to be.

For several years towards the end of my career with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet I worked on a database for emergency responders. People from our office (I went on a few of these trips) would go out in a truck equipped with a super-accurate odometer (to the thousandth of a mile) and measure the distance between streets and also check the milepoint signs and whether the current street signs matched what we had in our records. The information in the database included the route number (such as CR 1063 or KY 841) what was on any street sign and the local name, plus landmarks between. (The landmarks often included long-defunct roads, both to let emergency responders know they were going the right way and keep them from potentially turning at the wrong place.)

When a call comes in, firemen, etc. can access this online database and immediately get directions, with distances to each turn and direction of turn. Much more quickly and accurately than the dashboard GPS or map devices then available, and probably those now available as well. Also, our database included locally acquired information on such things as place nicknames.

No more "Duh! Big red truck!"

Sorry if this is too long. Up early this morning and judgement still groggy. :-)

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

Wish they'd get better street signs here in Portland. Can't see half of them anymore.