COUNTY News:
It’s a serious matter facing communities across the country – and Los Alamos is no different: numerous homes and businesses are poorly marked or not marked at all with their street address, making it a real challenge for emergency services to answer a call for assistance.
The Los Alamos Fire and Police Departments are working together to provide the community with education that can help remedy the situation this summer, while the weather is nice and property owners are making outdoor improvements.
Think your home is already marked adequately? Try this simple test:
Stand at the curb in front of your home or business and answer the following questions:
- Is your approved address number posted on your home or business?
- Are the numbers Arabic numerals or alphabet letters and no less than 4” in height and at least 0.5” wide?
- Do these numbers contrast with their background?
- Are numbers plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting the property?
- For duplex or quad owners: do you have lettering clearly visible after the address number with a space between?
- Do you live on a private road where the address cannot be viewed from the public right of way? If so, do you have a way to identify the structure?
Did you answer “NO” to any of these questions? Every second counts. It is important that emergency services can find your location. If Police or Fire/EMS are responding to your home; visible address numbers will save precious time and can save lives. Take time to inspect your address markings and make sure that they can find your home in an emergency. Keep the following in mind as you inspect your home’s markings or make improvements:
- Numbers should be posted on your home or business; Arabic numerals and alphabet letters numbers should be no less than 4” in height and at least 0.5” wide;
- Numbers should greatly contrast their background; all landscaping and shrubbery should be trimmed around markings to allow clear visibility;
- If the premises are a quad or duplex, the structure should have a letter clearly visible after the address number with a space between.
- When access is by private road and building, and the address cannot be viewed from the public right of way, a monument, pole or other sign should be used to identify the building; and
- Numbers should have an unobstructed view from the street, and should be plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting your property.
The above points make homes and businesses easier to find in an emergency. Do your part to ensure that valuable time is not lost – make it easier for emergency responders to locate you in the event of an emergency.
