KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Knox County Parks and Recreation crews this week hope to finish installing a series of emergency response locator signs that will encompass the entire Concord Park trail system.
The work piggybacks off a local Eagle Scout Service Project conducted in early October by Boy Scout Harrison Masters, and will be the first of its kind if Knox County.
Masters, working with the Parks and Recreation Department, Rural Metro and E-911, placed the initial round of markers on the east side of Concord Park. Similar systems are used nationwide and are designed to help emergency responders more quickly identify those who might need medical assistance on the trail. The signs also help trail users identify just where they are.
In October, Masters said he hoped his project would inspire others to adopt similar emergency plans across the county.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs accepted the challenge and said the county would be happy to participate.
“We’re really glad Harrison brought the idea to our attention because a system like this will help make Knox County an even better place to live, work and raise a family,” Mayor Jacobs said. “Safety is our top priority in the parks system and these signs will help provide folks with a greater peace of mind.”
As it stands, the crews will install 25 signs – each a quarter mile apart – along Concord Park’s west trail; the trails closest to the Cove; the trails between Carl Cowan and Admiral Farragut parks; and trails at Keller Bend Park.
Next year, work will extend to the county’s other trail systems, including those at House Mountain and I.C. King Park, for example.
