Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Residents urged to post accurate, visible address

Residents of Nevada County and all cities within the county are being urged to post visible, accurate addresses.

NCSO Sheriff Bobby Carlton, NCSO deputies and Prescott Police Chief Brian Russell say the lack of addresses are a real problem.

Its a matter of life or death in some cases, Russell said. Thirty seconds spent looking for an address could save a persons life.

In the city, residents are asked to use large lettering to post house numbers at or very near the front door. Letters should be reflective so that they are easily visible.

Russell said some people have house numbers posted on the mailbox. While thats acceptable, its not the first place city officers are trained to look. Ideally, numbering both the mailbox and the house will give law enforcement and emergency responders the best chance of finding the correct house quickly.

Outside the Prescott City Limits, sheriffs deputies, ambulance drivers and fire fighters tend to look on mailboxes. That can create a problem.

Carlton said many people have small numbers and letters on the mailbox, but only on one side. If emergency responders are arriving from the other direction, they wont see the numbers. Carlton said that means those people are constantly looking over their shoulders - dramatically slowing the process.

The other big problem is that some people still have the old rural route numbers and box numbers posted. That not only doesnt help emergency personnel find the house, it can also be confusing if the numbers are anywhere near the same, convincing officers that they have missed the house, for example.

If street or county road signs are missing, residents should contact the Nevada County Judges Office. Theft of signs is a crime and can be punished, but the fact that a sign is missing can be even more costly - it can mean an ambulance driver cant find a house and that someone dies.

Carlton said that deputies know a few addresses but are not often going to a home theyre familiar with. They depend entirely on finding an address. Ideally for county homes, the address should be posted on or at the mailbox. Carlton said a sign hanging above or below the mailbox is most likely to be seen quickly and that it should be lettered on both sides so that traffic from each direction can clearly note the address. If the mailbox is one of several or if its not on the main road, the address should be posted on a separate pole at the driveway.

Carlton said that most people simply dont expect to need emergency help. But if that time comes, law enforcement, ambulance drivers and fire fighters must be able to quickly and efficiently find the correct house.