Properly Numbering Your Home
Shared from a Stoddard Fire & Rescue Facebook Post from January 2022
Imagine it is 3:00 am and you call 911 for a fire in your house, or a medical emergency, or even a crime in progress. The responding unit turns onto your street and they begin looking for your house. The only thing they know is that they are looking for house number 229. It is dark and they see the occasional house number on a mailbox. They finally see the number 201 and know they are close, the next 5 mailboxes do not have numbers or they are not readable in the dark. Suddenly, they see 245 and they know they have missed your house.
Time is often important and this is going to take time. Especially if a 20 ton fire truck needs to turn around. They stop further down the street and have to either slowly back up, drive to an intersection to turn around or try to find another driveway to use. This is time they will not get back.
I know most people have some kind of house number on their house, on the mailbox, maybe chiseled into a rock at the end of the driveway. Often they are more decorative than practical, especially at night. A small number posted somewhere on the front of the house or garage is of little help at night. Many homes in our area are set further back from the road and these numbers are of no help in daylight or darkness. Non reflective numbers and numbers only on one side of the mailbox or post are not as helpful as larger, reflective numbers.
We need your help, so we can help you in a time of emergency. What is the answer to this?
2-3 inch reflective numbers, facing both directions is what works best. If your mailbox is at the street in front of your house this would be the best location. A stand alone sign post with numbers, close to the street would work also. If the numbers have to be on the house, lighted numbers or illuminated by a light are best.
Why both sides of the post or mailbox? The mail may be delivered the same every day, but your help may not always be coming from the same direction. The cost to put proper numbering at the street is much less than what could be lost. If there are multiple homes off of a common driveway, additional numbering may be needed to get us to your home quickly.
And lastly, businesses are not excluded from our request for numbering. Make sure your building number is clearly visible.
Peterborough Fire and Rescue Association will be glad to help any resident who needs assistance in installing the numbers.
Imagine it is 3:00 am and you call 911 for a fire in your house, or a medical emergency, or even a crime in progress. The responding unit turns onto your street and they begin looking for your house. The only thing they know is that they are looking for house number 229. It is dark and they see the occasional house number on a mailbox. They finally see the number 201 and know they are close, the next 5 mailboxes do not have numbers or they are not readable in the dark. Suddenly, they see 245 and they know they have missed your house.
Time is often important and this is going to take time. Especially if a 20 ton fire truck needs to turn around. They stop further down the street and have to either slowly back up, drive to an intersection to turn around or try to find another driveway to use. This is time they will not get back.
I know most people have some kind of house number on their house, on the mailbox, maybe chiseled into a rock at the end of the driveway. Often they are more decorative than practical, especially at night. A small number posted somewhere on the front of the house or garage is of little help at night. Many homes in our area are set further back from the road and these numbers are of no help in daylight or darkness. Non reflective numbers and numbers only on one side of the mailbox or post are not as helpful as larger, reflective numbers.
We need your help, so we can help you in a time of emergency. What is the answer to this?
2-3 inch reflective numbers, facing both directions is what works best. If your mailbox is at the street in front of your house this would be the best location. A stand alone sign post with numbers, close to the street would work also. If the numbers have to be on the house, lighted numbers or illuminated by a light are best.
Why both sides of the post or mailbox? The mail may be delivered the same every day, but your help may not always be coming from the same direction. The cost to put proper numbering at the street is much less than what could be lost. If there are multiple homes off of a common driveway, additional numbering may be needed to get us to your home quickly.
And lastly, businesses are not excluded from our request for numbering. Make sure your building number is clearly visible.
Peterborough Fire and Rescue Association will be glad to help any resident who needs assistance in installing the numbers.