New signs for faster emergency responses

Rural property owners in the Armidale Region are being encouraged to display address signs so their location can be easily identified during emergencies.

Council recently introduced the double-sided reflective signs, displaying property names and numbers, to better identify properties and assist emergency service providers. The signs use a nationally recognised addressing system and are visible in both directions, and in the dark.

Councillor Libby Martin put forward a Notice of Motion to the December 2018 Council Meeting, for Council to encourage rural residential landowners to install and display house numbers to identify their location. 

Cr Martin said an alarming number of rural properties have unclear or a lack of signage at property entrances and many are not visible from the road or in the dark.

“This is particularly concerning for emergency services trying to identify properties during times of distress,” she said.

The rural address number is based on a measured distance, usually from the beginning of a road, with the number rounded to the nearest odd number for access points on the left side of the road or nearest even number for access points on the right.

Mayor Simon Murray has purchased a sign for his rural property and said “it’s crucial for emergency services such as ambulance and fire to be able to locate properties easily to prevent delays and potential for disasters”.

“Accidents happen on rural properties more regularly than they should and on many occasions there have been delays with emergencies services getting to the scenes simply because they can’t locate a property,” Cr Murray said. 

Property owners have already started to purchase the double-sided blue reflective signs and the first signs will be erected at these properties in coming weeks. 

The University of New England is also implementing the addressing system at their residential colleges following a near death incident involving a student in July 2017. Since then, the university and emergency management teams have been working to find a solution for improved signage to avoid a similar incident. 

Council is offering rural residents the opportunity to purchase the signs for $300, including installation. Application forms are available on Council’s website or at its Armidale and Guyra offices.

Published on 05 Jun 2019