911 offers residents free address fridge magnets.

911 offers residents free address fridge magnets.

When 911 is dialed, knowing the address where help is needed is critical to a timely response by emergency responders. When callers dial 911 and aren’t sure about the address they are calling from, traditional wired “landline” phones greatly assist 911 by providing the name and address associated with the telephone line. 

The use of smartphones has caused most homes to disconnect landline phones. “Eighty five percent of our 911 calls in 2020 came from smartphones,” said Mason‐Oceana 911 Director Ray Hasil. The significance of people dialing 911 from smartphones is the caller’s home address is no longer provided to 911 telecommunicators. 

“Mason and Oceana counties have a lot of summer and vacation homes. When visitors are renting a home for a week, they don’t expect they will need to dial 911 and when they do, they don’t know the address of where they’re staying.” 

To assist homeowners with being better prepared for when a renter or visitor needs to call 911, a new refrigerator magnet is being offered, free of charge, to any Mason and Oceana County resident that requests one. “The fridge magnets allow the homeowner to write down their street address, city, township, crossroads, home description and special address information”. 

To request a magnet, call or e‐mail Mason‐Oceana 911 Executive Assistant Connie Blaauw at 231‐869‐7911 (cblaauw@mason‐oceana911.org). Magnets may also be picked up in person at Mason‐Oceana 911, 9160 N Oceana Dr., Pentwater. 

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