Can We Find You in Time?
Posting 911 Addresses
Fire, Police and Emergency Service Crews are on call to assist when you call 911. Even if you cannot respond on the phone, the 911 operator knows your address! Now, time is of the essence, emergency crews are responding to your call.
Will They Find You In Time?
Firefighters, OPP, and EMS, who respond to 911 calls, say visible house numbers can mean the difference between life and death.
Help protect your family members and property by making sure the address on your home and or business is clearly visible from the street. For example, consider putting reflective numbers on your house. The 911 system has saved lives and has cut emergency response times. Looking for house numbers is very difficult especially at night, and in the fog, snow or rain. It is important that house numbers are easily visible at all hours of the day; valuable time is wasted looking for the location of an emergency if the numbers are not clearly posted. If a house sets off of the road and there are snow-covered bushes, we can’t see it. It is essential for each and every one of us to take responsibility to see that our homes and businesses are marked with numbers that are clearly visible from the street. Vital minutes are being wasted trying to locate calls due to buildings not being marked at all, being marked with wrong numbers, or by markings that are not visible from the street.
Can Your Location Be Easily Identified?
The best location for your address:
Mailbox/Roadside post–Please put the number on both sides.
House–Near the front door and within the radius of the porch light. Any location close to the door and above eye level is good.
Trees and bushes must not block the view from the road. It’s better to have the number in both places–mailbox and house. If one number is obstructed, it allows the driver to see the others.
The Best Color
House–The idea is to have a light and dark contrast with the background, which is usually the color of the house. This will make the number stand out so it can be viewed from the street. If your house has a dark color, you need a number in a light color. If your house has a light color, get a dark color number. For example, a black number is perfect on a white house. A white number will show clearly on a brick house. A lit number is even better for easy visibility at night. Brass or bronze numbers are hard to see on all colors and not recommended.
Mailbox/Roadside post–The idea is to have a light and dark contrast with the mailbox. Black numbers on white stickers are excellent. You can mount a sign with a strong contrast above or below the mailbox.
Reflective numbers work great and are easy to locate night or day.
The Best Size
Bigger is better–Please do not get anything smaller than four inches tall if the number is shown on a house or roadside post. On a mailbox, no less than three inches tall.
Get bold type–Thick and wide is better.
Mailbox–Show only your house number. We don’t need your name.
Remember, We can’t help you if we can’t find you!!