Address Correction Project
Problems with Addresses
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Problems with Addresses

There are two basic types of problems that can cause delays or errors in dispatching emergency services to an address:

  1. A problem with the address number, such as being out of sequence with the neighbors, or no address posted or visible from the street.
  2. A problem with the street name or directional.  Possible problems with street names include a duplicate street name or one that is very difficult to spell or pronounce.  Another example is a street name that sounds just like another street name, but is spelled differently.

These problems can cause a 9-1-1 dispatcher to send emergency responders to the wrong place, or for the responders themselves to have trouble locating you once they get in the area.

These problems are located throughout the county. Click here to view a map of "hotspots" of address discrepancies.
 

Changing your address will fix the problem.

Here are some specific examples of how changing your address could solve these problems.

Out of Order. In this example, responders can’t quickly find house 9147 or 9043 because they are out of order. This is especially problematic where buildings are far apart, down long driveways, or in forested areas.

The solution is to re-number either 9147 or 9043. Which one gets changed will depend on its unique situation.
 

Out of Order
 

Long Driveway Example

Multiple Houses off Long Driveway. In this example, two driveways (or access roads) come off the main road XYZ St SE, and there are several houses that are accessed by these driveways. However, the driveways are not named, and the structures are addressed to the main road.

Delays may occur as the first responders have difficulty determining the correct driveway. Furthermore, once they've found the driveway it may be difficult to navigate to the house because the sequence pattern is not clear.

The solution is to assign a road name to the driveways, and re-address these homes to the new names.
   

Each situation is unique.

A particular situation may not fall into these categories, or it may fall into several categories.