Lake Santee road to be renamed as part of 911 initiative

(GREENSBURG, Ind.) – The majority of Lake Santee residents will have a slightly new address in the future. 

It’s part of the implementation of Next Generation 911 (NG911) which is a digital, internet protocol-based system that will replace the analog 911 infrastructure that’s been in place for decades.

The NG911 implementation is happening across North America and the goal is to provide optimal 911 services.

“For example, we know the Clarksburg Fire Department is extremely familiar with Lake Santee, but if another agency from a surrounding area responds to same call, there has been some confusion as to the exact location of the emergency,” an official said. 

How Will Lake Santee residents be affected?

Nearly all roads will keep their current name but the numerical address of some homes on those roads will change. 

The only road that will actually be renamed is the portion of Santee Drive that connects to Ontario Trail. That portion will be renamed and there is currently a community voting contest to choose the new name. 

“Since Santee Drive goes all around the lake, you could technically have the same address on both sides of the lake. That is why we are renaming one portion of the road,” the official said.  

The rest of Santee Drive will remain exactly as it is today. 

Officials say this should have taken place many years ago and the top priority for this change is to ensure first responders can identify exactly where a home is in the event of an emergency. 

The community recently held a contest to rename the portion of Santee Drive is underway and the options were Cherokee, Comanche, Kickapoo, Miami, Lakeview Drive, Seminole, and Sioux. 

Those choices coincide with many of the existing road names in Lake Santee that have Native American-themed names. 

The timeframe is not yet clear of when the NG911 will be implemented or the Lake Santee re-addressing changes will be made.