Coming to get us

I'm that sort of age.The heart attack, the stroke. Despite our best efforts an exploding gas bottle could leave one or both of us bleeding amongst the tattered ruins of the house. Maybe just a flood or a forest fire. Whatever the reason we might need the emergency services.

Now our address is nothing more than a number and the name of the village. As it happens we're on the edge of the village. A bit difficult to find. You just ask any of the courier services who occasionally try to deliver packets to us. We inevitably end up meeting them outside the local restaurant.

Back to that heart attack - time is of the essence. The paramedics going this way and that searching for the house. The house ablaze - the fire crew scanning the countryside for smoke.

The local police had a simple but brilliant idea. They asked anyone who lived anywhere out of the way to register with them. They came to the house and logged the GPS position. What we didn't realise was that as a part of this process they then allocated a simple code to the house. Provided we are able to use a phone all we have to do is ring the emergency number, give them our reference number and they can dispatch the appropriate emergency team to accurate GPS co-ordinates.

We did this ages ago but we weren't around when the majority of the information cards with the code were handed out. In fact it was purely by chance that we found out there were cards. I suppose I thought that simply being on the register was enough.

So today I popped into the local police station to collect our card. We were on the system OK but the officer I talked to didn't know where the actual card was. "Can't I just have the code?" I said. Of course not. I have to go back for the official card.

I hope they can find the house, if the time comes, more effectively than the card.