Cst. McLaughlin wants people to ensure they know their rural addresses

Photo by Jamie Rieger - Bow Island/Foremost RCMP Cst. Falyn McLaughlin said it can be frustrating for emergency response personnel to reach a location when the rural address is not provided. She encourages people living in rural areas to know their 'green sign number'.

By Jamie Rieger
Cst. Falyn McLaughlin joined the Bow Island/Foremost RCMP detachment fresh out of ‘Depot’ and so far, says she really likes the region.
“This area is so similar to where I grew up near Ottawa,” she said. “When I joined, I asked to go to a small farm town. Everybody here is so welcoming and my colleagues are a good group of guys.”
McLaughlin has been working on informing people in rural areas of the county to ensure they know their physical address, or green sign number.
Since joining the Bow Island/Foremost detachment six months ago, McLaughlin has experienced numerous occasions where there has been difficulty in locating the individuals having an emergency simply because they did not know their rural address. So, she decided to make this part of her Safety and Emergency Preparedness project.
“Knowing your green sign number is imperative to your safety,” said McLaughlin, who is challenging all members of the rural community to learn their rural address and post it on their fridge or near their phone where all family members can access it should there be an emergency.
“It is important for us to improve our response times and it can be difficult and frustrating for us when we can’t find the place. It is frustrating on all sides.”