Consistency sought for rural numbering | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

A NEW numbering system designed to make it easier for emergency services to find rural properties is being introduced throughout Wairarapa.

The Rapid (Rural Address Property Identification) numbering system aims to stamp out confusion that could lead to problems when emergency services have inadequate or misleading information using the current rural fire number system.

The manager of Wairarapa Ambulance Services, Marie Long, said the current system can make directions unnecessarily complicated and can lead to problems at a critical moment.

"It hampers our ability to find an address if people don't know their fire number, or we can't find the number at the gate."

Ms Long said the confusion sometimes caused in locating addresses has not been critical yet but should be dealt with.

"It might add a minute or two to the response of the call out if we can't locate the address.

"The potential is there for there to be a problem. We totally endorse the new system and what the Fire Service is trying to do," she said.

The Rapid numbering system was developed in Australia and New Zealand and takes into account the distances of driveways from intersections so the emergency services can measure exactly how far away the address is.

Henry Stechman, of the Masterton Fire Service, said the Masterton District Council had already implemented the system in many areas under their control and discussions are under way with the Carterton District Council and the South Wairarapa District Council to introduce the new system across the whole region.

"The emergency services co-ordinating committee have approached the various councils and recommended the Rapid system be adopted.

"Unless there is some consistency, it can get quite confusing. The one system for rural property identification would be ideal," Mr Stechman said.

He said there have been examples of emergency services being unable to find the proper driveways or buildings because of inconsistencies in the rural fire numbering system. "In the interests of continuity, consistency, and accuracy, we certainly need this."

Members of the South Wairarapa District Council expressed support for the new system at their council meeting in Martinborough yesterday.