Fire Chief says house numbers are needed

    Elizabethton Fire Chief Mike Shouse has asked residents to place house numbers on their residence to help emergency response personnel locate their house in an emergency.
   The fire department could provide a faster response if house numbers were visible from the street, Chief Shouse said.
   "It is especially important now. It is that time of year we usually see an increase in the number of fire calls."
   Today, the average response time for the Elizabethton Fire Department (EFD) is between 2 minutes-37 seconds and 2 minutes-45 seconds, the chief said.
   "Fire trucks start rolling within 30 seconds after the 911 Communications Center gives the location of the fire to the fire department," Chief Shouse said.
   A total of 33 firemen are stationed at three Fire Stations -- West G Street, Buck VanHuss Drive at Elizabethton Golf Course, and Station Number One at Sycamore Street and Hattie Avenue.
   During the month of October, EFD responded to 51 fire calls, including 19 structure fires. This represented a total monetary loss of $296,700.
   In addition, the department had 212 non-fire responses, which included emergency and/or rescue, smoke and false alarms.