Common street names and the confusion they can cause for centralized 911 dispatchers
By John Shumway
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ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Pop quiz: What is the most common street name in the United States? From town to town, and community to community, street names repeat, and that can create a problem for emergency responders.
The answer to the pop quiz: Second Street, followed by Third Street, First Street, and Fourth Street. First Street would be the leader, but so many towns changed their First Street to Main Street that it diluted the pool.
Now, why would we ask this question? It’s become a challenge for 911 and emergency response. In Allegheny County alone, there are 130 municipalities, and plenty of repeated street names.
Having the same street names was no big deal in days gone by. For instance, Thompson Run Road is used in Ross Township, Penn Hills, and West Mifflin.
“Those things happen, or happened, a long, long time ago, prior to us having a central 911 center,” explained Deb Beiber, Allegheny County Address Management Administrator. “When you were in West Mifflin, and you called 911, you were only calling the West Mifflin police, so there was no problem.”
Nowadays, centralized 911 centers have changed things.
An example is Sharpsburg and Etna, which are adjacent. According to Bieber, they both have the same street names with the exact same street numbers, which can cause confusion.
“It’s a legitimate issue, but we’ve got ways to vet that out to make sure that we’re getting the right one,” she said.
Meanwhile, Emergency Management Chief Matt Brown said that seconds count.
“If we can’t confirm where you are, we can’t send the help,” he said.
Brown said that you should always start with a city, township, or borough.
“Then they match what the caller gives them with what they’re seeing on their mapping tool,” Brown explained. “That, again, is our connection to the phone system.”
However, Brown said to remember that Allegheny County has 130 municipalities. That means plenty of Main Streets, River Roads, and yes, Second Streets.
So, what do they do when the county comes to them with new street names that could pose a conflict?
“I do a very harsh recommendation,” Bieber said. “I do a, ‘Please, please, please, don’t do this.’ The county itself does not have the authority to say no.”
Even a name seemingly as unique as Third Degree or Turkeyfoot, you will find multiples in western Pennsylvania. Those streets are decided by local towns, and they are reluctant to make changes. While PEMA has a committee that is working on state guidelines, that’s simply all they will be, guidelines with no teeth.
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