By Katina Caraganis
Sentinel & Enterprise
FITCHBURG, Mass. — Local fire departments are urging residents to make sure their street numbers are clearly displayed on their home to help first responders reach them in a time of need.
State Fire Marshal spokeswoman Jennifer Mieth said time is of the essence in emergency situations.
“In an emergency, seconds count,” Mieth said. “If people are having trouble finding out which number is yours, that’s precious time lost. First responders will find you faster during an emergency if your house is clearly marked.”
She said visible numbers also help with out-of-town departments.
“Sometimes I think back to when we had those terrible storms and people were doing mutual aid,” she said. “They may be from a neighboring community, and they may not be familiar with the area.”
Lunenburg Fire Chief Patrick Sullivan said Friday that town employees are vigilant about making sure numbers are visible.
“It’s always somewhat of a problem but, overall, we’re not too bad in town,” he said. “We try to keep up on that pretty good. When we do inspections, we keep an eye on that. We don’t issue permits unless they’re displayed properly. The building inspector keeps an eye out, too.”
Lunenburg is not laid out like a larger city, Sullivan said, which can make finding homes difficult.
“Absolutely, those extra minutes matter,” he added. “It’s critical to know where you’re going, especially in a rural setting like Lunenburg. In a rural setting, roads and numbers aren’t laid out in blocks. You may see number 68 somewhere, and then number 74 is the next number you come across.”
Leominster Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Davis said visible numbers are especially important for ambulance calls.
“Sometimes people will meet us outside on an ambulance call, but sometimes if they’re the only one home and the house isn’t properly marked, it can hinder us getting there,” he said. “If the house is on fire, we don’t really need a number. It’s the law it should be visible from the street, but I can’t stress it enough.”
The State Fire Marshal’s Office offered the following tips for to make sure your house number is clearly visible:
- Numbers need to be at least 4 inches in height and face the street.
- Put the numbers under lighting, and use numbers with a contrasting background, so they will be visible at night.
- Be sure to use the E-911 address for the property.
- If your driveway is long, post your house number on both sides of a mailbox or sign pole at the end of the driveway near the road.
- Be sure to keep the numbers visible by trimming trees and bushes.
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