This is a re-posting of an older post but is still is always something to keep in mind:
While running errands or searching for a store or business, have you ever been frustrated by how tough it can sometimes be to locate a particular address? HFMVA’s ambulance crews certainly have – and in our line of work, finding a difficult address quickly can have a big effect on patient outcome.
Looking at the homes and businesses in our area, it’s surprising how frequently their street numbers are impossibly small, nearly unreadable – or just plain absent. Have you ever looked at your own home’s numbers? Are they clearly visible from the road, at least 3-inches high and not hidden by trees or landscaping?
Consider the perspective of the medic or driver who may someday respond to a 911 call at your home: They’ve just jumped out of bed in the middle of the night, they’re mentally reviewing their protocols and preparing for your situation, they may be collecting equipment or supplies, the weather could be doing its best to make visibility poor – and to top it off mail box numbers are too small to read! In cases like this, the ambulance might have to turn around (no small feat on narrow roads in bad weather) more than once before the crew finds their destination.
Please take a few minutes to check the numbering on your house or mailbox, and make sure it’s large enough and visible enough from the road for our crews to find you!
