Safety for rural residents

Fremont (Neb.) Tribune: How much is peace of mind worth?

It could be as little as $10 for those who live in the rural areas of Dodge County. That’s if they choose to participate in a program that would put 911 address signs in front of their homes.

Dodge County supervisors recently agreed to cover $10 per sign and have them installed if enough of the approximately 3,000 rural homeowners agree to pick up the other $10. Fire districts across the county would be responsible for collecting the names of those who want the signs.

Even at a cost of $30,000 in tax dollars, we think it’s a fair way to address a problem that has existed for far too long. Firefighters have long wanted the address signs to help them locate homes when emergencies do occur.

The county has made a good-faith offer. Now it’s time for the firefighters and homeowners to do their part.

While fire departments determine how to best collect the names of homeowners who want the address signs, we offer a couple of ideas that might help. First, make sure some type of registration form is included in this year’s tax bills for rural property owners. That gives them a convenient way to sign up. Second, supervisors should develop zoning regulations that will require any new home that is built in the county to have the address sign installed.

Ten dollars doesn’t seem too much to ask rural homeowners to pay.