If you needed to evacuate your home at Wintergreen in 30 minutes or less, could you? If the answer is no or maybe, Wintergreen Fire and Rescue wants to be aware of your situation.

This is just one example of why they are creating a new database.

“We cannot promise we can always meet the needs of every citizen in every sort of emergency. What we can do is take steps to set ourselves up for every possible success,” says Chief Curtis Sheets. “This is different from the Wintergreen Police Department welfare check program where residents here can request a daily check-in phone call. (Call Wintergreen Police at (434) 325-8500 for more details.)

“For example, do you use a wheelchair or walker? Or, do you use medical equipment such as an oxygen generator that relies on a battery backup during a power outage? If so, we would like to be aware of this.

“Being aware of situations such as this with some details will allow us to dispatch resources in a more efficiently in the case of a wildfire, severe weather, or other large area threat. Focus is our goal,” says Sheets.

Wintergreen Fire & Rescue’s Mike Riddle is spearheading this database project. (He’s also is the lead on the Wintergreen Alert mass notification system.) If you would like to be a part of this new effort or just have questions, call Mike Riddle at 434-325-8552 or email him at mrffmedic@gmail.com. Or, go to Wintergreen Fire and Rescue’s website and fill out the form. The information will go straight to Mike Riddle.