Reflective House Numbers Help, But Aren't Required

Seen a flier recently asking if you'd like reflective house numbers painted on your curb? You aren't alone.

This week, houses in the Conway and White roads area were papered with the fliers. Fliers state, "78 percent of all house addresses are not visible for night use when seconds count in an emergency for the Police, Ambulance and Fire Department."

They then ask homeowners to leave $10 in cash or check taped to their front door to pay for the service.

But, local emergency response personnel say, reflective house numbers aren't necessary.

"It being reflective isn't a requirement," Lt. Steven Lewis with the Chesterfield Police said. "It's not something that we necessarily look for.

"The address on my house isn't reflective; it's white numbers on a black background." Lewis said police can use search lights at night if an address isn't readily visible. 

Monarch Fire Protection District Fire Marshall Roger Herin echoed Lewis.

"We have a requirement (in the fire code) that it be posted and visible from the street, but it's not required to be reflective," Herin said. "It would probably help."

But, Herin said, it's better to have your house numbers posted on your house rather than on the curb. When it snows or rains, numbers on the curb aren't always visible.

Lewis said the fliers are pretty common, though. Typically the service is used as a fundraiser—whether it's college students trying to scrape together some cash or a troop of Boy Scouts.

"I remember back when I was an Explorer scout, we used to do that as a fundraiser, and that goes back 25 years."