Northwood News ♦ October 2001

Could the Rescue Squad Find Your House in an Emergency?

By Jacquie Bokow

Can your house number be seen from the street?  Can it be seen at night?  If your house were on fire or you had called for an ambulance, would your lack of a readable house number delay your home being located?

Check this yourself.  Go to the curb in front of your home and look.  Can your house number be read easily or is it too small or obscured by shrubbery or an awning?  Now do the same thing at night without your porch light on.  Now check it with the porch light.  Some porch lights don’t illuminate house numbers all that clearly, but you may never have noticed how unreadable your own is from the street.  House numbers painted on the curb really aren’t all that noticeable even during the day and may be hidden by vehicles.

There are quite a few homes in our neighborhood with larger, easily readable numbers.  More large numbers seem to be appearing every week.  Some houses show their numbers more than once.

The numbers which are most easily readable are black on white, but a contrasting background is essential.  Some homes have large white numbers against brick or dark siding, instead.  Brass numbers may seem classy, but often don’t show up very well.

You can’t rely on emergency vehicles checking your neighbors’ house numbers to find you.  Surprisingly, there are at least a dozen homes in our community which do not sport numbers at all.  Some homes have their numbers only on the mailbox by the front walk.  One home has its number printed out on a piece of paper and taped over the door!  (But it was there, and could be read from the street, during the day, at least.)

If you’re thinking of replacing your house numbers, please be aware that, effective 5 April 1988, Montgomery County law requires that all new or replacement house numbers for single family homes be five inches tall.  The numbers also “must be on a contrasting background, easily read, and clearly viewed from the street.”

So don’t take any chances.  Make sure your house number is clearly visible both day and night.   ■