Primarily, to assist emergency services in responding to emergency calls. An E-911 address helps emergency services to locate residents. A faster response time can make a significant difference in survival and degree of recovery. However, E-911 location addresses are also often required for phone service, building permits, drivers license renewal, land titles, loans, mail delivery, insurance and for other purposes requiring a site location.

An E-911 address is a site location address. An E-911 address is assigned using a mileage measurement, accurate to 1/100 of a mile, to driveway on a named road. A 911 standardized measuring system is used. Measurements start at the south or west end of a through road. Driveways on the left side of the road are given odd numbers and driveways on the right side of the road are given even numbers.

People placing emergency calls often have difficulty providing their addresses. Children, visitors, hearing or speech impaired callers, or callers in a life threatening situation, may not be able to provide address information to dispatchers. E-911 automatically gives the dispatchers the address, allowing them to send the appropriate fire, medical personnel, or law enforcement, even if the caller is unable to communicate.

To assist emergency services, post your E-911 numbers at the entrance to your driveway. Numbers need to be visible from the road and should be 3” to 6” high with a contrasting background. People living on shared private access roads should name and post road names to improve emergency response time. Call (509) 422-7160 for information on naming your road.