When you see a disabled vehicle or an accident on the roads this winter, look out for bright orange tape.
That’s the York County Department of Fire and Life Safety’s way of letting citizens know emergency officials have responded to the scene and have taken care of the incident for the time being.
When citizens call to report a disabled vehicle or accident, emergency 911 dispatchers ask the caller if he or she sees any orange tape on the vehicle.
If there is tape, it means emergency officials have tended to the incident but were dispatched to another emergency situation, and the dispatcher knows not to send emergency personnel to the scene.
“We try to eliminate multiple responses to the same incident,” Assistant Fire Chief Paul Long explained. The elimination of multiple trips to a reported incident saves time and fuel, he said.
The department was recently given an achievement award by the Virginia Association of Counties for the program, which Long said has been successful thus far.
The department developed the system of marking vehicles last winter, and Long said it has reduced the number of calls to which emergency personnel respond.
“It provides us with a platform for a more efficient operation,” he said.
He said the department has used about $165 of the orange surveyor’s tape in the past year, and the tape is paid for using grant money.
He advised drivers take extra cautionary measures this winter. “We definitely see an increase in calls when there’s significant weather,” he said, recommending citizens slow down when the roads are slick and maintain a safe following distance.
