Clearly visible house numbers are very important for emergency services, especially if you live in a poorly lit area or outside the metropolitan area.
Deputy director of paramedicine for St John Ambulance, Andy Bell, says: “it’s incredibly important for house numbers to be easily read and visible from the street to support ambulance crews and first responders in finding patients quickly and without confusion.”
Yvonne Hortin is one of the regional St John volunteers and wants to remind people that every second counts when you call 000.
She knows of many callouts where valuable time has been lost due to drivers looking for the right house.
“I know of a driver that went to the wrong house in the middle of the night and woke an elderly lady by mistake due to inadequate signage,” Yvonne says.
“The driver had come to a Y junction along a dirt track and there was no indication at all of which way to go. That missing sign at the junction caused a scare for one person and a longer wait for the intended patient.”
Yvonne is aware of other drivers reporting similar incidents where they had attended the wrong house as well as times where there was no house number at all. Drivers have also had to phone patients to get them to let them know exactly where they were.
Inadequate house number signage in multi-dwelling developments is also an issue.
Yvonne recommends residents look at their house number signage from all directions and at night to check visibility from the road.
“Sometimes the numbers are obscured by vegetation, are too close to the ground or too small and hard to read. Our country ambulance drivers are all volunteers and it’s incredibly stressful when they can’t easily find you, so please think about them too.
“Mailboxes at the front of properties aren’t just there to help the postie; they also help emergency services find you,” she says.
If you call 000, Yvonne suggests switching on all outside lights and if someone else is with you, ask them to stand outside and look for the ambulance. Consider adding reflective house numbers to your home or mailbox and make sure your house number is large and clear enough to be seen from the road.
Older and medically vulnerable residents should consider adding additional house number signage either by their front door or on their verge.
