CURB NUMBERS NOT NECESSARY, SAYS CITY FIRE MARSHAL

A drive to get money for painting house numbers on curbs may be confusing to some Cape Girardeau residents, Fire Marshal Tom Hinkebein said Friday.

An unidentified person or group has been putting large notices on homeowners' doors. The notices say the homeowners can increase their safety by having their house numbers painted on the curb, thus making the number more visible to police, fire and ambulance personnel.

There is no city ordinance dictating numbers must be painted on the curb, Hinkebein said. However, residences are required to be marked with 4-inch-high numbers that contrast with the color of the home. Commercial structures should be marked with 6-inch numbers. The numbers must be in Arabic style.

But homeowners may choose to mark their curbs.

"There is nothing really wrong with it, but we don't have any requirement for it in our codes," Hinkebein said. "You can put numbers on your curb, but it doesn't take the place of having numbers on the house."

If homeowners choose to put residence numbers on their curbs, city ordinance dictates the numbers be black on a white background.

Hinkebein said curb numbering often is obscured by street parking, but numbers on homes help emergency workers find homes quickly.