
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 7, 1995                   TAG: 9511070079
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NEW ADDRESSES ABOUT TO BE ASSIGNED FOR 911

Bedford County will be sending new-address notifications to thousands of homeowners over the next few months.

In anticipation of Bedford and Bedford County's enhanced 911 system, which goes on line next year, homes in the county that now are identified by state route numbers and post office boxes have been given street names and numbers.

According to Garland Page, director of the Department of Community Development, this is the tentative schedule for residents served by the following post offices: early to mid-November for Montvale, Thaxton, Blue Ridge and Bedford; Nov. 27 for Goode, Forest and Evington; Dec. 8 for Lynchburg; Dec. 22 for Moneta and Huddleston; and Jan. 5 for Vinton and Goodview.

Letters already have been sent to residents of Big Island.

Address notification letters need to be returned so homeowners' new addresses can be entered into the E-911 database.

If homeowners don't sign and return the notices, they won't be able to receive E-911 service, which allows dispatchers to determine immediately where a call is coming from and who lives at that address.

Instead, homeowners would have to tell dispatchers where they live, as in the current 911 system.

by CNB