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EMA director urges residents to post readable house numbers to speed emergency response
Summary
Greg DeBauer, Saint Marys' emergency management coordinator, reviewed local ordinance No. 85 requiring visible address numbers (4-inch minimum for residences, 10-inch for commercial) and urged the city to publicize the rule because 'every minute counts' in emergency response.
Greg DeBauer, the city’s emergency management coordinator, reminded the council and public about Saint Marys’ house-number ordinance (Ordinance No. 85, enacted 10/19/1998) and urged residents to make numbers clearly visible for emergency responders. “Every minute counts, every second counts when we're trying to find a residence,” DeBauer said.
DeBauer summarized the ordinance’s key technical requirements: residential address numbers should be composed of numbers or letters at least 4 inches in height, contrasting with their background and placed as near the front entrance as practicable so they are legible from the sidewalk or road day or night. If a dwelling is set back from the street, additional address numbers should be posted on a post at the driveway intersection, with the number displayed at least 48 inches above the ground. Commercial or industrial structures in low-density areas should display address numbers at least 10 inches high.
DeBauer gave practical examples of where the ordinance matters, citing long driveways and mailboxes with faded or small numbers on roads such as Bucktail, Johnsonburg Road and Lehi Hazel Road. He noted that while the ordinance allows spelled-out unit numbers, numerals are preferred for speed of reading by emergency personnel. DeBauer said he had asked staff to consider public reminders via the city’s Facebook page or local paper and recommended quoting the ordinance text in notices to residents.
Council members agreed the ordinance itself probably does not need revision but said renewed public outreach could help compliance. The deputy mayor, who sits on the EMA committee, and other council members supported running a reminder and exploring practical options such as reflective posts or curb painting where appropriate.
No amendment or enforcement motion was made at the meeting; DeBauer framed his remarks as a public-service reminder and asked for council help in publicizing the requirement.
