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Fire chief: Clear markings at residences enhance safety
mailbox
Effingham County Fire and Rescue recommends mailboxes include six-inch numbers that are reflective or illuminated at night. Highly visible numbers help emergency personnel find find those in need quicker. - photo by File photo

GUYTON — Chief Clint Hodges of Effingham County Fire and Rescue is encouraging Effingham County residents to mark their houses and/or mailboxes with easy-to-see numbers. 

It’s a move that adds up to safety, he said.

“It’s a recurring issue and there are two factors involved,” Hodges said. “It’s not just people not having their address marked. A lot of the newer subdivisions have all the mailboxes in a cluster near the entrance so we are really having to relying on people having the correct number (on their residence).

“The bigger the number the better because sometimes it’s the middle of the night and there is not a whole lot of light. The more visible the numbers the better off you are. Even if it saves just two minutes on a response time — that’s two minutes getting to a house — if somebody is not breathing, that’s a long time.”

According to Effingham County code, mailboxes require three-inch numbers. Effingham County Fire and Rescue, however, suggests six-inch numbers that are reflective or illuminated at night.

“Also, if you live one hundred or two hundred yards off the road, you need to make sure you having something by the road,” Hodges said. 

“If you have a P.O. box or something like that, that is very important. I know a lot of people consider (the numbers) an eyesore but they can save us valuable minutes.”