SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) - Officials say new markings will be added to Clark County trails to help visitors and first responders.
Police and paramedics will be able to use the markings to locate anyone who calls for help, according to officials.
According to officials with the National Trail Parks & Recreation District, their trails are currently, for the most part, unmarked, and someone who uses the trails gave them the idea for the new markings.
Orange stickers will be placed on the pavement of the trails every tenth of a mile, according to Brad Boyer, deputy director for the National Trail Parks & Recreation District.
"I think it's great," said Carrie Knight, a Springfield resident who walks the trails. "Especially if you're not from the area, you really don't know, and even if you are familiar, it is easy to get lost."
The new stickers are being fully funded with a $1,500 state and county grant, Boyer said. They'll be placed on the parks and recreation district's three trails, he added.
"The main reason they didn't use the trails is because they felt like they didn't know where they were at or they would have trouble with communicating their location if their bike broke," Boyer said of results from a previous survey.
Each sticker has a unique code, Boyer explained. If you call 911 and provide the dispatcher the code on the sticker, first repsonders will know exactly where to find you on the trail, he said.
"We partnered with the Clark County sheriff's department and the city of Springfield police department, and each of them will be input into the county's GIS system with their GPS coordinates," Boyer said.
Some people who use the trails told 2 NEWS the new markings will make them feel safer.
"A sense of security knowing that if you get out there and you have an issue that there's someone that you can contact and they'll be able to find you readily out here," said Heather Stevens, a Springfield resident who uses the trails regularly.
The new markings will be placed on the Buck Creek and Simon Kenton trails and part of the Little Miami Scenic Trail this summer, Boyer said.
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