Poulsbo Fire Department
Prevention & Safety

Addressing

A man lays on the ground in cardiac arrest. He's young, and has no history of heart disease. His wife called 9-1-1 and started CPR immediately upon his collapse, and as fire department units speed to the scene, paramedics are hopeful that they'll be able to resuscitate this man - if they can get to him soon enough. Hope turns into frustration for responding crews when they're unable to locate the house down a series of unmarked driveways. Precious minutes are lost, and the man dies.

Unfortunately, this type of story is all too common in the communities served by Poulsbo Fire Department. "While it's our responsibility to know the names and locations of roads within our service area, it is the citizen's responsibility to post legible address numbers. We join you in hoping that you'll never need our emergency services. But, in the event that you might someday make a 911 call, be prepared. Post your address numbers, using the following guidelines, and help ensure that we'll be there as quickly as we can when you do need us the most.

House Numbers
Consider the following when selecting the size, style and color of numbers for posting on or near your home: Are the numbers visible at night? Are the numbers easy to spot when approaching the home? Can the numbers be seen from the roadway?

Driveway Signs
If the home isn't visible from the roadway, make sure that the numbers appear at the top of the driveway. The numbers posted on your mailbox usually aren't sufficient. Post an address sign that is readable from both directions at the top of the driveway.

Turns and Ys
If the driveway splits (or makes a "Y"), post additional signs with arrows or directional markings that will clue responders to which driveway serves which address(es).

We appreciate your help in making sure we can find you, and are glad to answer any questions about your addressing situation. Don't hesitate to call us! 360-779-3997. (Thanks to North Kitsap Fire & Rescue for sharing the text that appears on this page.)