When you call emergency personnel such as the police, an ambulance, or the fire department, they should be able to identify your home as quickly as possible. Don’t make the job more difficult by obscuring your street address. 

During the holiday season, many people cover their street addresses with Christmas decorations or wreaths. While there’s nothing wrong with sprucing up the outside of your house, make sure that the address is visible. 

At any time of year, move or trim shrubbery that covers up your street number, and move other obstacles such as construction material that interferes with the address visibility. 

Keep your address well lit. If your outside light is next to the door, but your address is over the garage, install a second light. To deter robbers, you should always keep your outside lights on at night in any case. 

To ensure visibility~ you can install illuminated numbers. 

Try to keep your address numbers a contrasting color from the background. A brown painted number against a brown wail can be tough to pick out. 

Newly built homes often have temporary lot numbers but no street addresses posted. Tell the emergency dispatcher your lot number. If that number isn’t well lit, advise the dispatcher of identifying features or land-marks, such as the type of car in the drive-way. 

The emergency services personnel in your area should be familiar with the streets. But if you have time on the phone, you could provide basic directions, such as the nearest main intersection. 

Look at your address from the street to make sure that it is visible. It doesn’t do a police car or ambulance any good if the address can only be read from a few feet away. 

When calling 911 or an emergency operator, stay on the line long enough to confirm your address. 

In an emergency, a few minutes or even seconds can make a difference to your safety. Making your address clearly visible can ensure that emergency personnel find you without wasting any time.