Can
We See Your Address?
You have called 9-1-1 for an
emergency and now you are waiting, for what seems like forever, for the fire
department to arrive. What you may
not realize is the emergency crews are driving slowly on your street attempting
to locate your house address. Will
the emergency service personnel find your house number?
Will firemen, or paramedics be able to respond to your call for help
fast enough? When every second
counts in saving a life, we need to be able to quickly find your house,
apartment building, or business address.
Most address numbers are
difficult to see since the numbers have no contrasting background. They may be
painted the same color as the building or are obscured by bushes or trees, or are
to small to view from the street. This
problem becomes even more evident on poorly lighted streets, or during periods
of bad weather including heavy rains or snow.
Every building, whether it be
a home, apartment, or business, especially with children, elderly people, or
people with health problems, should have the address highly visible from the
street to aid emergency crews in locating the address as quickly as possible.
Numbers should be at minimum 3
inches (4” to 5” inches is ideal) in height and be contrasting against the
building. The numbers should be
un-obscured and clearly be seen from the street.
Whenever possible, a light should be positioned in order for the address
to be viewed at night. The color of
the numbers should be a light color, such as white or beige, affixed to a dark
background such as black or dark brown. For
those numbers in cement stones, make sure the stone is kept clean and the
numbers are black against the stone. If
you have brass numbers, please polish them annually in order for them to be
clearly visible. Tarnished numbers
are very difficult to make out from a distance.
We strive to arrive to your call for help
as quickly as possible since seconds do make a difference in many situations.
If those seconds are lost in attempting to locate your address, then we
are delayed in providing emergency services whether it be for a fire or an
ambulance. Please take a few
minutes to check and see if your address is clearly visible from the street. If you live or work in an apartment or office building and
feel the address is not clearly visible, please notify the management of the
building. If you have any questions
regarding the best placement of your address, feel free to contact us at
630-910-2207 and we will come out and give you some suggestions.