Can Emergency Responders find your home or driveway quickly and easily, day or night? The Boulder Creek Fire Protection District has excellent maps that show parcels, streets and addresses of the entire fire district.  These maps however, don’t always show driveways, and unless your home sits right on the road, it can be very difficult to find. In the daylight hours the task is a bit easier, but at night it is extremely difficult especially in inclement weather.  Many driveways and homes are not marked at all with addresses.

As a resident, you can help prepare by clearly marking your address. The following guidelines are the Santa Cruz County standard:

1. Numbers shall be permanently affixed on a structure in clear view, unobstructed by trees or shrubs.
2. All numbers shall be clearly visible from the fronting public street or road, in contrasting colors. EXAMPLE: White trim with black numbers.
3. All new and existing single-family residences shall be identified with minimum four-inch (4”) high numbers, with a minimum one-half inch (1/2”) stroke.
4. All multi-family, multi-industrial, and multi-commercial occupancies shall identify individual units with numbers that are a minimum height of six inches (6”), affixed to the unit’s front entrance door or immediately adjacent to it. All buildings with rear-door access shall identify that unit as stated above.
5. All buildings with two (2) or more units shall identify utility meters according to the unit being served. Numbers shall be a minimum of one inch (1”) in height and be permanently affixed.

You can also make response faster and easier by maintaining your roadway. Trimming trees and keeping a minimum of twelve feet width allows fire engines to pass with little haste. Work with your neighbors to ensure the road is kept in a safe condition and allows access for emergency equipment at all times. Always remember, an emergency can happen to everyone…not IF, but WHEN.

If you have any questions about emergency access or marking your address, please feel free to contact the department staff.