Rocky View County (RVC) residents are reminded to make sure their municipal address is properly displayed, to ensure first responders can quickly find homes and businesses in case of emergency situations.
“If your municipal address is blocked by snow, bushes, or not displayed at all, first responders can lose critical minutes in reaching you,” said Grant Kaiser, manager of communications services with RVC. “It’s an important reminder for rural and hamlet residents alike.”
While Kaiser said county fire and enforcement services are very familiar with the geography of RVC, it still takes additional time to locate addresses that aren’t marked. For the RCMP and provincial ambulance service, which are based out of nearby cities and towns, it’s even more challenging as they won’t already know county roads and communities.
However, residents can easily respond to this issue by ensuring their address is clearly visible. According to Kaiser, an easy-to-see municipal address sign is critical in helping emergency services reach you as fast as possible.
“There is a municipal bylaw that requires everyone to clearly post their address, which reflects the danger to residents if first responders are delayed in finding the right location,” Kaiser said. “Helping emergency personnel get to you fast is a cheap and easy way to enhance your safety.”
According to Kaiser, there haven’t been any issues with RVC’s emergency services. However, since the RCMP and EMS/Ambulance services don’t report this kind of information to the county, he doesn’t know if it has been an issue for those responders in the past.
“We’ve seen instances in other provinces, the U.S., and the U.K. where people have died or been killed when EMS or the police couldn’t find addresses,” Kaiser said. “That concerns us that it could happen here, so we are taking pre-emptive action.”
While there are provisions in the bylaw that could result in penalties, including a fine, for not keeping your municipal address visible, Kaiser said RVC tends to not enforce them.
“That’s because the other consequences are far greater,” he said.
“Not having a proper street address displayed as required could impact your insurance coverage in the event of a loss. And, as mentioned, you’re putting your own life at significant risk.”
Anyone with questions about their municipal address or the requirements for displaying their address can search for “Municipal Addressing” at www.rockyview.ca or contact the county’s Geographics and Mapping section at 403-230-1401.
