By Barbara Scott
staff Writer
With winter just around the near corner, creating snow banks in front of properties and in driveways, Caribou Fire Chief Roy Woods is once again reminding area residents of the need to have clear, highly visible house numbers on their residences/businesses.
Republican photo/Barb Scott
Area residents are reminded by Caribou Fire Chief Roy Woods that visible property numbers are necessary to ensure quick response by fire and emergency medical personnel.
“This continues to be a very big problem,” stated Woods, “it is very stressful for our firefighers and emergency medical personnel — I’ve said this before but there is no other way — if we can’t find you, we can’t help you.”
Members of the Caribou volunteer fire department are constructing house numbers signs in two sizes, 18-inch by 6-inch or 14-inch by 5-inch. These signs are florescent green with white numbers and are available for $12 (cost of materials) The signs are attached to a structure by four screws and may be made either vertically or horizontally. Property numbers may also be printed on both sides.
“I encourage the use of these property identification signs,” said Chief Woods, “it causes a great deal of stress in our firefighters and EMTs if they can’t locate an address they have been called to.”
Area residents are reminded that there is a city ordinance that require properties to have numbers easily visible from the road. Woods said that there are a tremendous number of homes in the city and rural area that are not numbered or in many cases have numbers that are too small to be distinguished from the road.
Requests for these property signs can be made by stopping in at the Caribou Fire Department or by calling 493-4202.
“Winter is coming and with the amount of snow piled up in front of homes and businesses, it is extremely important that we are able to immediately locate individuals in the case of a fire or medical emergency,” added Woods.
