PUT EASY-TO-SEE NUMBERS ON YOUR HOUSE

There are plenty of things for homeowners to worry about. For some reason, however, they don't seem to be too worried about putting their street numbers on their houses so firefighters, police and emergency medical crews can find them.

It is surprising, during a recent driving tour of Cape Girardeau, to see how many houses don't have easy-to-find house numbers on them. Some are just hard to see. Other houses simply don't have numbers at all.

Since 1991, the city has had an ordinance requiring the numbers, both for residences and businesses. The intent of the ordinance was to assist emergency crews. But for whatever reason, too few homeowners have heeded the ordinance.

This has prompted the city fire marshal, Tom Hinkebein, to appeal for compliance. He has a good point. Who wants to be the first on the block to lose a loved one because emergency crews couldn't find your house?

There are a few rules for numbering houses: 4-inch numbers visible from the street of contrasting color to the exterior of the house. And no script numbers. Surely that's not too hard. Don't wait until it's too late.