Addresses - "Can We Find You?"
For the most part, your family, your friends, your neighbors, postal
carrier and many other associated persons know where you live. When someone that has never
been to your home before is trying to find it, time is not usually a critical element. If
they missed your house, they can always find a phone and call you for directions. Even the
pizza delivery persons are no longer time sensitive on getting your dinner to you within
30 minutes.
So what is the problem? The ability to locate your home quickly by
persons that have NOT been there before becomes an issue when an emergency arises. Police,
ambulance and fire personnel need to be able to find your home easily to be able to help
you. If your home does not CLEARLY show your address, it can delay vital emergency help to
you or even your neighbors. Minutes can seem like hours when you are waiting for emergency
crews to arrive in your time of need. Help them to help you by following these guidelines
for posting your address on your home or business.
On Roadside Mailboxes
SIZE: The larger the numbers, the better.
Standing six (6) feet away from your mailbox, one inch letters may seem sufficient.
However, in an ambulance rushing to help a heart attack victim, it is very difficult to
see. A minimum of four (4) inch reflective block style numbers is recommended.
VISIBILITY: Be certain that decorations or the
flag do not obstruct the numbers. If you live on a through street, an emergency vehicle
can come from either direction so it is a good idea to mark both sides of your box.
LOCATION: If your mailbox is not directly in front
of your home, mark the box for the benefit of the mail carrier. However, be certain to
mark your home as follows for emergency personnel.
On the Building
SIZE: Again, the larger the numbers, the better.
Since the house is farther from the street, use larger numbers than on the mail box. We
recommend using a minimum of six (6) inch block-style numbers. Fancy "script"
type numbers are attractive but are difficult to read quickly from a distance or in the
dark.
COLOR: Some people have painted
their address numbers to match their home, thereby effectively camouflaging them. The
numbers should be painted to highly contrast with their background color.
LOCATION: Placing the numbers above a garage door
if it faces the street and is visible, or above or near the main entrance (front door) to
your home are the most common places to put numbers. It is the first place we look for the
numbers when trying to find you in a hurry.
Please put your number up! Help us to help you in case of an emergency.
 
| 
