Street signs can save lives
BY HUNTER ANDES
Many people may not know how something as simple as a street sign on a country road can save a life.
Every county in North Dakota, except Ward, Burleigh and Grand Forks, utilize something known as the Burkle Rural Street and Address System.
This system was crafted in the late 1980s by the late Kornard Burkle, Stark County’s former 911 coordinator and emergency manager. Burkle essentially created a unified grid, which is centered about six miles east of McLean County. It breaks the state into four quadrants and is designed so people can find their way without the help of a map or GPS. The United States Post Office also utilizes this for mail delivery.
Stutsman County’s 911 Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist said he learned most of what he knows from Burkle and uses that knowledge to this day. He said the main reason this system exists is so emergency responders can easily find emergencies.
