FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 Date:
December 5, 2006
Contact: Ron McAffee
Phone: (360) 307-5800
No. 06-99
CENCOM Offers Winter Driving Tips
PORT
ORCHARD, WA—Winter
weather leaves Kitsap County 911 operators wondering, “What’s next?” While
citizens battle everything from flooding to freezing roads, CENCOM operators
keep the help coming.
Increases in weather-related incidents cause a significant increase in calls to Kitsap County’s
911 Center, CENCOM. All the employees at CENCOM do everything they can to
get citizens the help they need. During inclement weather events,
dispatchers need your help to keep emergency lines open and operators
available for “life saving communications.”
Some of the calls
received can be better handled by other agencies.
- For power
outages and tree branches leaning into wires that pose no danger (no
smoke or visible fire), contact Puget Sound Energy at 888-225-5773.
- For fallen trees
on private property, contact a tree removal service.
- For road conditions, bridge closures and general road information on
state highways (i.e. Wheaton Way/Hwy. 303, Hwy. 305, Hwy. 3, Hwy. 16,
Kitsap Way/Hwy. 310, Sedgewick Way/Hwy. 160 or Bond Road/Hwy. 307), contact WSDOT at 511
or 360-874-3050.
- To report icy roads or roads in need of sanding in unincorporated
Kitsap County, contact The Open Line at 360-337-5777.
- Within city limits, contact Bremerton at
360-473-5920, Bainbridge Island at 206-842-1212, Port Orchard at
360-876-2722 or Poulsbo at 360-779-4078.
If, at any time,
there is immediate danger to life or property, then calling CENCOM is
appropriate and encouraged. Before calling, be sure you have a good address
or nearest intersection. When reporting a vehicle in a ditch, callers should
advise the dispatcher if there is anyone with the vehicle or if it is
abandoned. Callers should also check for any type of markings or flags on
the vehicle. Most local Law Enforcement agencies use some type of flag or
marking to alert other responders that the vehicle has already been checked.
“Our dispatchers and
call takers worked hard to coordinate emergency response throughout Kitsap
County during the recent inclement weather,” said Ron McAffee, Director of
CENCOM. “I’m proud of all the hard work and dedication given by all CENCOM
employees during the recent increase of calls.”
Remember, the most
important thing to CENCOM operators is that callers and responders are safe.
Obtain as much information as possible without endangering your self or
responders. If you are unsure if a hazard exists, error on the safe side.
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