Trinity Track gets 911 signage

Emergencies happen in a lot of situations, including being out for a healthy walk or run.

Which is why the Trinity Track at King's Gate Park now has 9-1-1 signage. Should someone encounter difficulty, they can be located by emergency officials more quickly.

"All the Weatherford Mountain Bike Club trails have a 9-1-1 emergency access system like the one that will be utilized on Willow Park trails," said WMBC President Larry Colvin, who is also senior design engineer for Baird, Hampton & Brown, the organization that worked with WMBC to produce the trail plan.

The 9-1-1 trail markers are an approximately 5-foot tall, red fiberglass post with a letter of the alphabet noting the location of the marker. They have been geo-referenced to a digital file that the Willow Park Fire Department has in their dispatch system. 

Should there be a medical emergency the caller would inform the 9-1-1 operator where they are located via the alphabetized marker. That information is given to the paramedics who can then respond to the emergency. 

"The WMBC has had this system in place since 2016. It’s proven to be very effective at helping first responders navigate mountain bike trails in rugged environments," Colvin said. "It only makes sense for the system to migrate to the existing, paved bikeways like the ones inside Kings Gate Park."   

The Trinity Track is the first phase of what is hoped to be a significant trail system in Willow Park. Phase One is less than a mile of single track trail to accompany the existing 2-mile, concrete pathway inside Kings Gate Park. 

Colvin said the City of Willow Park and the WMBC are negotiating with adjacent landowners to participate in future trail projects. 

While the Trinity Track has been in use, an official soft opening is expected soon, Colvin said.

"The WMBC is excited to partner with the citizens of Willow Park on the Trinity Track," he said. 

He also issued a reminder that the WMBC is a volunteer organization and anyone who wants to can get involved with the club. 

"We’ve found that the people who are most passionate about a trail are the ones who live nearby," he said. "We’re looking to get those people involved so we can create more trails closer to home."