NATCHEZ &045; Maybe it’s the delivery guy with the latest eBay purchase trying to find the right house, or maybe it’s the ambulance carrying the life-saving defibrillator; regardless, both need clearly posted house numbers to find their destination.

That’s why Adams County Emergency Management Director George Souderes constantly encourages everyone to follow the E-911 number guidelines.

&uot;It is very important for emergency services and even timely delivery of packages to your home,&uot; Souderes said.

The city and county have ordinances requiring the clear posting of house numbers.

Souderes said numbers at least 3 inches in height and plenty wide should be on the front of the house and on a mailbox.

Despite the ordinances, Souderes said there are still many locations in the city and county that don’t have the proper identification. A common problem occurs when several mailboxes are located together across the street or near a group of houses. Having the number on the house too will speed up service, something that is essential in emergencies, he said.

&uot;It takes the guesswork out of it,&uot; he said. &uot;This is all common sense.&uot;

Trailers and hunting camps are also required to follow the same rules. Camps owned by the same person with several structures need to have individual numbers on each structure.

For houses not visible from the road that don’t have a mailbox on the road, Souderes said the owner should put a post in the ground at the end of the driveway that clearly states the number.

When a 911 call goes into central dispatch, the computer system will post a code for the region, within the city limits or in the county, and list the address the telephone account is under.

Emergency responders may have the house number but still be unable to locate the house.

New addresses have to be registered with the Emergency Management office. The information goes into a database accessible by the police department, sheriff’s office and fire departments as well as other governmental officials.

Emergency management does not provide the numbers but stick on numbers can be purchased at most stores.