MEDIA RELEASE [stdclogo] DATE: 9 May 2011

Rural Properties urged to check Rapid Numbers

The South Taranaki District Council is urging rural residents to check their RAPID numbers so it's easier for emergency services to find them.

The call comes after an Annual Plan consultation meeting in Manaia where members of the public told the Council of an incident where the ambulance took an extra 30 minutes to locate a property because the RAPID (Rural Address Property Identification) number was missing.

STDC acting group manager of environmental services, Jim Single, says rural residents should check their RAPID numbers to make sure that numbers aren't missing or they can be clearly seen and to contact the Council if they need replacing.

"In an emergency situation every second counts," says Mr Single (an ex police officer). "You don't want to waste time trying to find the location which can be difficult in unfamiliar rural areas, especially at night."

The RAPID system gives properties a unique number based on their distance along a road from its starting point or intersection with another road and can be identified as white or silver numbers on a dark blue post.

Issuing RAPID numbers is coordinated through the STDC. Please contact the Council for any concerns related to RAPID numbers.

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