Reminder re House Numbers
 

If you removed your house number from your window, PLEASE put it back. This is where emergency personnel look to find your home -- not your lamppost, not the curb, not your neighbors. The seconds it takes for them to locate your home when they have to look elsewhere to find your house could cost you your life.

A dear friend of mine called 911 last Friday with a heart attack. She thought the numbers on the window looked tacky and had removed them. EMT arrived but had difficulty finding her home -- she and three of her neighbors had removed their numbers, it was dark and it took them almost a full minute to find the house. Fortunately, she's still alive but she did major damage to her heart. EMT and her cardiologist said that had they not had to search for her house, there would have been less damage to her heart.

So, please do the necessary so that your house can be found as quickly as possible in an emergency!

Thank you so much for sharing this info. This was going to be one of the first things I was going to do. My prayers go out to your friend. Where else but TOTV would we get such valuable information. Your message might safe someone else's life. hugs to you

Thank you Redwitch
 

A few of my neighbors have done the same. I served 42 years in the fire service before moving to TV. There is nothing more aggrivating then not being able to find the house your being called to. Seconds count. Make sure your numbers are visible, know your emergency numbers, turn your outside lights on and if possible have someone stand outside and flag down the responders. The life you save makes you as much of a hero as the responders.

Thank you for the reminder, Red. I removed the numbers years ago. I have a lighted sign with our number and names, however, light bulbs can go out during the night and I'd have no idea. Off to the hardware store to get some new numbers and I'll make sure they're reflective.

Did she have her house number on a lighted lamp post? I would think it much easier to see there than in a darkened window.

I was under the impression the number in the window was so the contractors and sales people could locate the house. Once the the house sold and the lamppost sign went up the window number was redundant.

I was once an EMT in a volunteer ambulance corp in a rural area up North. We had to read names on mail boxes . Sometimes it would involve a long driveway with the house in a wooded setting. Very frustrating but we never caused undue harm because of difficulty finding the address.

Duh ... Forgot I was at my friend's house and she had opened an account here but has yet to post anything, so I merrily replied and, of course, it makes no sense since it wasn't "me" replying. Sorry about that, all. Anyway, here's my reply:

downeaster, Yes, she did have a lit post with her name, but she has a very ornate and dark sign and the numbers are next to impossible to read even in broad daylight.

Here, the EMTs are used to looking at the window for the number. Lampposts are second choice, adding/subtracting from neighboring houses is last alternative.

And, you're right, most of the time even a few minutes won't make much of a difference but there times even seconds matter, as was the case with my friend.

Unfortunately more than once the EMT's came to our cross street and went the wrong way on our street only to take precious seconds/minutes to turn around and go the other way. They should have this info.

Numbers
 

If your replacing them make sure you get the reflective type. At night with the spot light on the rig it works great.I listen to the calls in TV. Central dispatch gives them a map number to look at. Where I came from we had our own dispatchers and all addresses were on the Red Alert system that gave precise direction to the scene. Makes a big difference.

Redwitch:

Thank you so very much for this idea. My brothers both had heart attacks and delayed getting the medical treatment they needed. One did not want to wake his family so he waited until morning and lost 70% of his heart function. DUH

The other brother drove himself to the hospital. In his defense he didn't think he was having a heart attack but in retrospect, a dumb move.

If you saved one life, wouldn't that be great.

I called Public Safety. I was told house numbers on the lamp post, over the garage, on the side of the garage are all OK. But not on the curb. However, they must be legible. That seems to rule out fancy lettering. They confirmed the numbers in the window are for the sales people. However, leaving them there is acceptable.

I was also told every vehicle is equipped with a GPS which has made finding locations much easier.

Don't know if this exactly fits or not, but we did not have numbers on any of our windows when we moved in since we waited for ours to be built and did not purchase one already constructed.

As for EMT's, etc., I have had several occasions to call. Each time, they have asked that outside lights be turned on and that someone watch for them. There is also a type of switch you can install on the porch/garage light that can be activated as a strobe light. This would seemingly be more effective that numbers on a window.

There is nothing wrong with removing them as long as you put up conspicuous numbers elsewhere such as over your garage door, lamp post etc.

redwitch
 

Thank you for the great information....