Plympton firefighters installing reflective house number signs for older residents

PLYMPTON, Mass. — Plympton firefighters are installing reflective house number signs for older residents to help first responders more quickly locate the homes during an emergency.

“If we’re responding to any emergency, locating the house is the biggest priority for us,” Captain John Sjostedt told Boston 25 News. “We have all the equipment to take care of the emergency, we need to find where the emergency is.”

Sjostedt noted how seconds can make a huge difference in the outcome when responding to an emergency.

“Imagine 2 o’clock in the morning, it’s really dark, we don’t see the smoke or flames, but we see these green house signs that we’ve installed,” he said. “We know where the right house is and we can get there much faster to take care of the emergency.”

Sjostedt said 35 residents signed up to get a sign. They’ve already installed most of them.

While at the homes, the firefighters also performed safety evaluations which resulted in them installing 30 smoke and 30 carbon dioxide detectors for the residents as well.

“One house I went into didn’t have a single smoke or carbon monoxide detector,” Sjostedt said. “That particular house made the entire program worth it for me. It’s one more house in the town that’s safer because of this program.”

The fire department was able to offer the signs to older residents for free thanks to a grant from the state.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security in February awarded $1.9 million in grants to 239 fire departments so they can fund fire education programs for children and older adults. Plympton received $5,974.

Sjostedt said the signs also have another benefit.

“When you have a pizza and movie night, the pizza delivery guy can find you a little faster too,” he joked.

Cox Media Group