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Hillsborough Trails Getting Emergency Locater Numbers

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 23, 2008

TAMPA - Bright, yellow, numbered decals will be glued down on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. They are like mile markers along an interstate highway and serve as sort of a beacon in case of an emergency.

Hikers, joggers and bikers along the trail now have a point of reference if a problem arises. They can call 911 and tell the dispatcher they are at a certain decal number. Dispatchers then punch in the number on a computer, and a location pops up on the screen.

"It's better than just saying, 'I'm about a mile north of Linebaugh, or I'm near the big white house,' " said John Brill, spokesman for the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department.

The project isn't exactly new. Bright, yellow, plastic numbers were stuck to the pavement every 50 feet along the Town 'N Country Greenway two years ago as part of a test project.

The idea is to help trail users in trouble.

Additionally, 911 dispatchers who type in those numbers on a computer can come up with the best way for emergency help to reach the scene. The trails are tricky, and in some locations there are narrow bridges that can't be traversed by some emergency vehicles. So it's important to find the most direct route to a scene that can be used by rescue trucks.

The Upper Tampa Bay Trail is more than seven miles long and is among the more heavily used trails in Hillsborough County, with many points of entry.

Markers will be placed every 200 feet, Brill said.

Hillsborough sheriff's officials said the numbers have been incorporated into the dispatching systems and are included in map books.

The county plans to implement the program at other trails. Old Fort King Trail, the Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve bike trail and the Northdale Trail, which is under construction, are slated to get decals next, Brill said.

The county has about 100 miles of trails; some are paved.

Brill said the only cost of the project is the markers, which aren't that expensive; the labor it takes to install them; and a data entry person to punch the numbers into the 911 system.

The initial project was tested and proved to be successful, Brill said.

"We put numbers down and made fake phone calls to 911 to test it, and it seemed to work real well," he said. "They were able to know where our people were and how best to get to them."

The department decided to put the numbers on the pavement rather than post signs, he said. That way the scenery remains unspoiled.

"We didn't want to have any sign clutter," he said. "These are nice scenic trails."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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