Is your number up? Please display your house number.

November 28, 2020

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council would like to encourage all its residents to ensure they have a house number prominently displayed at their property to help emergency services respond to calls.

This is particularly important in rural areas, where there can be limited identifying property numbers.

Councillor Ross McLernon, Environmental Services Committee Vice-Chair, speaking about this initiative said: “The response time of all our blue light emergency services can be affected if house numbers are not evident.  Sadly, not having a visible house number could mean the difference between life and death. If a person has experienced a significant accidental injury or has a life-threatening medical condition that could lead to cardiac arrest and death, early intervention is absolutely crucial.

“During winter months when there are limited daylight hours, it is very important for all property owners to make their premises easily identifiable from the road. Unfortunately many numbers are either concealed by trees or overgrown hedges, too small to see or have no signage at all.”

The council alongside its colleagues in the police, fire and ambulance services are asking that we all give critically ill or severely injured patients the best chance of assistance. If emergency services cannot find a house then vital time is lost for the patient to get the emergency care they need.

Councillor McLernon added: “Coronary Heart Disease takes the life of more than 1 in 7 men and 1 in 10 women in Northern Ireland. Many of these deaths occur suddenly and outside of hospital following a sudden cardiac arrest. The chances of surviving a coronary incident is very time dependant; the longer the attempted resuscitation is delayed, the worse the outcome.  So please check your property number is visible!