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In your Naming Consistency table, it looks like straightforward "city Fire Department" with the addition of "Station n" if necessary is the way to go. In rural areas, I'm finding "Volunteer" often included and also sometimes "Area" so "city area Volunteer Fire Department." Should these be shortened to "city Fire Department" or left as they call themselves? |
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The Name and Address Formatting Guide contains limited examples, and doesn't capture the full range of name possibilities. The guidance mainly indicates that abbreviations should be spelled out, special characters should be removed, and the word "Station" should be included if there is a station number listed in the name. Deviations from the guidance are acceptable as long as they match what is listed on an authoritative source. If an official website states the station in question is run by volunteers and the name they list is, for example, Pine Bay Volunteer Fire Department, then that is the name you should enter. Same thing for "Area". If the name as listed on an official source contains the word "Area", then that is how the name should be entered. Each fire district/service area across the country will likely vary in the way they name their stations, so as long as you're consulting official/authoritative sources, and ensuring that all stations operating under a single department are named consistently (e.g., Denver Fire Department Station 1, Denver Fire Department Station 2, Denver Fire Department Station 3, etc.), then you're on the right track. As stated in the formatting guide: NOTE: If you find inconsistencies in names between authoritative websites (e.g., a county website and a fire station website), please pick one source and format all of the features according to that source. If you're really unsure about what to name a feature, you can always send us an email at nationalmapcorps@usgs.gov. |
