New countywide addressing system enters final stages

Forms are being distributed with new addresses that residents should return to the Courthouse.

Vernon County's GIS director says the process is now under way where residents can start switching to the new 911 address the county provides. This means that all rural route addresses are being replaced with street names and numbers. Tim Bourassa said that he will soon be visiting every one of the approximately 10,000 addresses in the county and leaving a door hanger with a return post card with the preassigned address for that residence or business.

"Every single point now has a 911 address, so now we have to give them out," Bourassa said. "We developed a three-piece door hanger with a postcard telling them what their address is."

All residents have to do is fill the card out and return it to the Courthouse and they can begin using the new address. Bourassa said the sooner the cards are returned, the smoother the transition to the new addresses will be.

"I really want to stress that it will make things much easier if they send the cards back in," Bourassa said. "If they do not send it back it will just make things more complicated. If they lose the card they can come into the GIS office and we can help them get it done right here."

Bourassa said he recommends three actions that would help the process to work smoothly.

"Complete the current address form attached to the door hanger and mail it back immediately. It's postage paid, so it doesn't cost you anything," Bourassa said. "The other two things are very important. First, clearly label your house with the new address. This helps emergency personnel locate your property should the need arise. The less time they spend searching for your location, the more they can spend helping you. Second, clearly label your mailbox with your new address, this will help postal carriers, especially if your house is not near your mailbox."

Bourassa said the process in on track to be completed by the first of the year but residents don't need to wait until then to use the new addresses. However, they do need to complete and return the postcard provided before using it.

Bourassa also stressed that county residents cannot assign themselves an address. Emergency 911 addresses follow specific rules for sequencing and the county coordinated with the state of Missouri's Office of Administration to create a more reliable addressing system. Someone not following the rules could actually put themselves or others at risk if an emergency arose that required a response from fire, EMS or the sheriff to the location of a bogus address.

More information is available online at: www.vernoncountymo.org/directory/announcements/911.htm