The goal of the Dock Sign Initiative is to provide information to homeowners and encourage them to place reflective yellow location identification signs on their docks in case of an emergency on the water. The identification system uses a letter/number combination to designate the County and correlate each dock to a physical address with each 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in the five (5) counties surrounding Lake Gaston. EMS personnel, First Responders, NC and Virginia VFD water response, wildlife officers, and the coast guard auxiliary are aware of this safety initiative and back the importance of the project.
The Task Force entered a four (4) year contract with Southside Planning to identify the GIS latitude and longitude for each boat dock and assign a unique number for each dock sign. This Information is being downloaded in each county PSAP to be shared with emergency personnel when necessary.
Progress to Date (April 2024):
May 2023 – The dock sign initiative begins
24 – # of HOA/Communities hosting “Dock Sign Initiative” info sessions
933 – # of Docks identified within the 24 HOA/Communities
708 – # of Households “opting in” to post this life saving sign
76% – Participation rate of households within communities hosting info sessions
Contact Docksigns@lkgtaskforce.org for information on how YOU can host a session or order your dock sign today!
Testimonial: “On July 28, 2024, Lake Gaston VFD was dispatched to an unconscious person on Morristown Rd. The call was updated to an unconscious person in the water, changing our response to a boat rescue. The occupants of the boat involved were able to give 911 a location to a 911-addressed house by relaying the Dock Sign number close to where they were located on the water. Getting land and water resources to the exact spot promptly led to a positive outcome on this call.”
Jeffrey Bunnell, 2nd Lt. Lake Gaston VFD