Address on Mailbox or House

Make sure that you have an easily readable (day and night) address on your structure or driveway.

As we are coming down the road, the driver and officer are doing many things to prepare for the call and it is very helpful to have large, clear numbers on the house or mailbox.

Google Maps Acccuracy

In this age of computers and smartphones, Reisterstown VFC uses Google Maps to speed our response to your location. Through a smartphone app called Active911, emergency calls appear in our fire apparatus on a tablet when the alarm is dispatched. This program also provides us mapping of the closest fire hydrant or drafting water source in the event it is needed.

It is important that you check that Google Maps displays your address correctly!

Although Google Maps is mostly accurate, the map is often at least slightly off. To correct your address follow the instructions below.

To check your address, go to https://www.google.com/maps and enter your home address such as: ‘1234 Anywhere Street, Reisterstown, MD 21136’.   If your home or business address is just off the named road or there is only one building on the driveway, the map marker should appear on your structure or where your driveway intersects the named road.  If you have a long driveway off the named road and there are multiple homes or business addresses on the same unnamed driveway, the marker should appear where your driveway ends at your address location.

To move an incorrect marker, put your map in satellite view by click on the Earth box in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Right click on the marker and choose ‘Report a data problem’ in the popup box then check the box for ‘Marker is placed incorrectly on the map’.

You can then use your mouse to drag the marker to where it should be by holding down the left mouse button, and then click on ‘Submit’.
If your location is not on the map at all, right click on the correct location and choose ‘Add a missing place’. Fill out the pop up form and click on ‘Submit’.

It will take some time, days to weeks, for your changes to appear on Google Maps.

Thanks to Hampstead VFC for working out the instructions above!