Do you have a street address clearly visible on your home or business? If you drove by your property at about 20 mph, could you clearly read the address number of your home or business?

In the city of Hays, there are ordinances under the fire inspection codes and also under the building inspection codes that require all structures, both homes and businesses, to have block numbers at least 4 inches in height displayed and clearly readable from the street. Ideally, these numbers should be of a color that significantly contrasts with the background.

No one ever expects something tragic to happen to them. A medical emergency, a fire or police emergency are things that happen to other people.

If we don't take some of the simple common sense and legally required actions such as ensuring our home and business has a clearly visible address number posted, we could be extending the time it takes for emergency responders to arrive at your door. When you truly need emergency response, seconds could make the difference between life and death.

As the Hays Fire Department conducts more than 900 fire inspections each year, one of the requirements to pass the inspection is to have a clearly readable street address.

It is clearly understood that any business wants to be known by their name recognition and general location, not really caring if anyone knows their actual address. Although when emergency responders are sometimes dispatched to a specific business name at such-and-such address, not everyone knows that location without the address too.

Some of the older police officers, firefighters and EMTs may know where a commissioner lives or where Centennial Towers is located, but having the address clearly posted can make a huge difference and be of great assistance to emergency responders.

Each year, our emergency responding agencies have turnover of personnel with new faces working hard to learn the community. Whether the police officer or firefighter is fairly new or has been with the department a decade, having a clearly visible address posted really does help.

If you have this concern already taken care of on the front of your house or business, hopefully near your front door, you might give some thought to taking a couple extra steps.

If you live on a corner, consider posting the address on two sides of your home or business. It would also be a great help to utility companies and police if you had your address numbers noted on your back alley fence, garage or even a tree.

Businesses should have their street number on the back door to the business also. On those occasions when there are disturbances in a neighborhood or a suspicious person call or a business alarm, officers try to cover all angles of the area of concern. The address number posted in the back alley area of your home or business could be helpful as we respond to try to help you.

The number of homes and business in Hays that don't have clearly readable address numbers posted is significant. If you happen to own a home or business that is falling short of these helpful and legal requirements, please take the time and small expense to become compliant with the city ordinances and prepare for the unexpected emergency.

Philip Hartsfield is assistant chief of the Hays Police Department.