ALPHABET SIGNS Blog

Saving time can save lives, just ask a fireman or police officer.

Or you can ask Bill Seymour, 40, a married father with three children, businessman and volunteer fireman for the past 16 years.

Bill Seymour, a blue collar guy who not only cares about his own family and his neighbors, has strongly recommended the use of the easy to install reflective house number signs on properties throughout the country.

"It leads to significantly faster emergency response time," Seymour recently told a reporter.

Seymour said he had heard about reflective house numbers from Grace O'Malley a community activist and a member of the board of the Timber Cove Home Association.

Timber Cove, in rural Northern California, is a two to three hour scenic drive north of San Francisco and has only about 300 people living there full time in some 500 homes. But during the summer months the population in this little "Redwood Coast" community swells to over 5,000 people.The town, with virtually no business district or Post Office of its own, includes just two restaurants, two inns and two general stores with gas stations. It serves travelers to area destinations Fort Ross Historical State Park and the Salt Point State Park.

It's been estimated that only about two percent of the homes in this Sonoma county community had reflective numbers; that's only about 10 homes in 500. Until now!

Seymour went home from the association meeting and got on the computer and found Alphabet Signs, clear across the country in Wilmington, Delaware.

Bill telephoned and spoke to company president, Daniel Keane and discussed using the reflective house numbers for re-sale as a fundraiser for the Timber Cove fire department. Daniel Keane learned that the local volunteer fire company had an outreach group made up of teenagers interested in pursuing fire fighting as a career. The Explorers group was interested in going house to house and inform residents of the benefits of reflective house numbers to EMT drivers. Keane thought this was a great idea to save lives in light of the California wild fires and offered the firemen a 35% discount. The fireman and Alphabet Signs finally made a deal.

An initial order of 22 reflective house number signs were delivered to Bill Seymours' house and he explained their use to the teenage group and soon the Explorers were out explaining the signs and installation to property owners. Homeowners were 'very impressed' and soon they sold out. The fundraiser was a success and everyone was happy.

O'Malley told a reporter that Michael Singer, the fire chief in the Timber Cove Fire Protection District, which is a 50 square mile unincorporated community in Northwest Sonoma County, had asked the property owners to install the numbers.

"Having unified night visible signs make good sense for homeowners and for those trying to find them to help them," said O'Malley.

There are Explorer groups all across America and they train like full-fledged volunteer firemen and are dedicated to saving lives and property. And they do fundraising for their own and other local organizations throughout the year.

"The Explorers is an extension of the Boy Scouts of America," said Bill Seymour.

"They learn the basic fundamentals of firefighting and EMS services and are advised by professional and volunteer firemen and paramedics."

Timber Cove volunteer fire department is made up of 30 members. And in a town with just one school (K-12) boasts of an Explorer group of 13 teenagers of which Seymour's middle-child Chelsy, 15, is an Assistant Chief. His other daughter, Brittany, 17, is also a volunteer fireman. Bill Seymour and wife Katie also have a son, TJ, who is only six-years-old.

Dan Keane, president of Alphabet Signs, said, 'The reflective house numbers were the perfect fundraiser item for the Explorers of Timber Cove Fire Department since they provide utility to the organization's purpose.

"The reflective number addresses save lives, injuries and property simply because they make getting to a specific property easier. And they make it easier for friends and delivery people, like the paramedics or the pizza guy finding a place in the city, the suburbs or the rural spots."

Talking to scores of police and firemen across the USA over the years they have all agreed that the day was coming when all communities would require reflective numbers on all properties since they save time and save lives and property, a veteran news reporter told Alphabet Signs.

The large 6 by 18 inch placard is easy to put on any property and take only minutes to install but can save so much more time. A simple household screwdriver is all it takes to install the aluminum rust free sign in minutes. "Anyone can do it," said Keane. The rounded corners guarantee you'll be safe from sharp cuts. It's maintenance-free, will not wear out, and made to Federal Highway Administration standards. It's been government field tested.

"If our reflective house numbers help ONE fireman or cop or a delivery guy can find an address easier and faster we'll be happy and satisfied," said Alphabet Signs Dan Keane.

Explorer Assistant Chief Chelsy Seymour said that a recent wild land fire in the Timber Cove area showed the fire department and community members that 'it was significantly' harder to identify one property from the next since the number signs had yet to be installed.

Her father, Bill added about the reflective numbers, "it makes our jobs easier."

Chelsy noted, "These signs can make every community safer."

Bill, a native Californian, moved to Timber Cove 17 years ago. The high school grad now owns Timber Cove Excavating he said. He grew up in Manchester near the Pacific Ocean after being born in nearby Crescent City, near the Oregon border.

He's served on the school board and worked on numerous fundraisers while he also coached little league, T-ball, baseball and softball teams.

Of Alphabet Signs staff he said, "They were extremely helpful. he staff was very courteous" They were punctual on responding to e-mails and whenever they said they would have something done by a certain time, they would have it done.

"Overall, great customer service," Seymour said.