West Plains, MO. – Local fire departments are asking rural residents to clearly display or update the numbering on their mailboxes to help during emergencies.
Local fire departments, emergency medical services, and first responders are often the first on the scene when an emergency arises. While EMS and Fire Departments use GPS to help locate homes, GPS is not always accurate or up-to-date. For this reason, rural residents are asked to clearly display their addresses on the side of their mailboxes.
Nate Hudson with News Team 7 recently spoke with Lt. David Todd of the Mountain Grove Fire Department to learn more about this issue:
Some of the tips that Lt. Todd mentioned are:
- Using a minimum of four (4) inch lettering for your house number. Larger print allows drivers to read house numbers while traveling.
- Using reflective numbers or letters.
- Make sure your mailbox is clear of foliage on either side.
These are a few tips that can make finding the correct house in an emergency easier for emergency personnel. While emergency crews can usually spot a large fire in the night due to the glow of the flames, crews may have a very difficult time finding the home when environmental clues are absent, such as in the case of a stroke or heart attack.
For more information on how you can be better prepared during an emergency, contact your local fire department.
