The University of Maine Orono’s fraternities will receive highly visible address signs close to the road after requests from local emergency response organizations. According to UMaine Police Department Lieutenant Robert Welch, the new signs will significantly aid emergency response divisions such as the Orono Fire Department in responding to calls quickly.
“[Emergency response services] get these calls, and we have no idea where it is because none of [the fraternity houses] have numbers,” Welch said.
The new address signs will be posted close to the road and are highly reflective so they are more visible at night. According to Welch, the push for these signs began last summer when police were responding to a medical call at one of the fraternities but couldn’t locate it.
“We went back and forth trying to find the house. We probably passed it three times,” Welch said. “I voiced my frustration to President Ferguson.”
President Ferguson responded to Welch and granted him the funds to have highly reflective metal signs created for greater visibility as well as to comply with Orono Code Enforcement, which has jurisdiction over the fraternities on the opposite side of College Avenue to the university.
Welch proceeded to send notices out to all of the fraternities in January, calling from a representative from each to meet with police for full disclosure about the sign installation.
“We want them to know we’re not putting a camera or anything like that,” Welch said.
Seven of the 11 Greek houses agreed to have signs put up and will assist UMPD with installing the signs in front of their houses after the parade on Maine Day, April 30.
The four fraternities who did not agree were given until March 1 to respond to UMPD’s notice. These fraternities are Alpha Gamma Rho, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Phi Kappa Sigma and Phi Eta Kappa.
“If they don’t participate and Code Enforcement knocks, they’re on their own,” Welch said. “They’ll have to pay [for signs] themselves.”