All residents of Tallahatchie County are being notified that they have been assigned a new 911 address.
For several years, the county, under the direction of the Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Information Technologies at Delta State University, has been immersed in a project to improve its addressing system to meet updated state standards and Enhanced 911 National Emergency Numbering Association guidelines.
The changes are designed first and foremost to enhance the accuracy of GPS navigation devices in relation to actual physical locations. This information is used by emergency response agencies such as law enforcement, fire departments and ambulance services, among others, to find a home, business or other address as quickly as possible.
The Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors ordered the new addressing after learning that a previous 911 addressing project that impacted only rural residents of the county, implemented in 1996, had become outdated by more recently adopted state and federal yardsticks.
As part of the work between the county and DSU, some roads have been renamed, but the greatest widespread impact is that all structures in Tallahatchie County, both rural as well as those situated within municipalities, will receive a new numerical physical address that, for many, will eventually become their new mailing address, too.
Workers with the Tallahatchie County 911 Addressing Department, housed within the Tallahatchie County Emergency Management Agency office, last week began the process of going door to door to hand out printed literature informing the general public of the change.
Ashley Williams and Tammy Orrell will be wearing name badges and driving vehicles with markings that identify them as being associated with the Tallahatchie EMA or 911 department.
If no one is at home, a plastic bag door hanger will be left with a postage prepaid postcard included for returning to verify that someone at the address has received the 911 notification packet.
The process of notifying everyone in Tallahatchie County is expected to take several months.
No one is to begin using their newly assigned 911 address for mailing purposes until they are notified to do so by the U.S. Postal Service.
In the meantime, if anyone has any questions, they may contact the 911 department at 647-2540. If no one answers, leave a message and someone will return the call.
