OFFICIALS ENLIST BOY SCOUTS TO HELP CITIZENS COMPLY WITH ADDRESS LAW

If a massive publicity and advertising campaign won't get the job done, perhaps the Boy Scouts will.

So reasoned Cape Girardeau Fire Chief Bob Ridgeway, who is willing to enlist the services of the Boy Scouts to deal with a problem of replacing residence and business addresses that are difficult to read or find.

Ridgeway said the fire and police department tried to educate people about how important it is to have an address that can be seen from the street.

The city ran a publicity and ad campaign in August 1993 to raise public awareness of the dilemma that arises in emergency situations. Ridgeway said compliance is mandatory, and a fine of $25 usually is assessed those who don't comply.

But judging from the results of a survey, the message still hasn't made the impact Ridgeway was hoping for.

An area covering 15 blocks was chosen randomly to determine how many homes complied with the address numbering law, which requires that the numbers be 4 inches in height for residences and 6 inches for businesses.

The color of the address must contrast with the color of the house or business. It should also be designed in numerals rather than script.

A research campaign followed to determine if there was any change. Before the publicity and advertising campaign, 60 percent of the buildings were in compliance. After the campaign, the figure rose to slightly, to 63 percent compliance.

"That shows almost no change," said Ridgeway. "Obviously we need to try something different."

The Cape Girardeau Fire Chief likes the idea of sending Boy Scouts and the fire department's Explorer post out with house numbers that are big enough to see.

Through the program, Boy Scouts will sell address numbers at a nominal fee and turn the profit for their effort back to their troop leader.

"They could maybe buy the numbers for $2 and sell them for $5," said Ridgeway. "We've seen how people are willing to use smoke detectors if someone offers to install them for free. Maybe the same thing will happen if Boy Scouts deliver the address and charge a small fee for the service. Sometimes making the trip to the store for someone makes a difference."

Ridgeway said the benefits far exceed the expense. In an emergency, a firefighter or police officer can ill afford to search in vain for the proper home or business.

Ridgeway said he was surprised to learn that some of the newer homes in Cape Girardeau weren't in compliance with the city code.

Rick Murray, supervisor of building inspectors in Cape Girardeau, said he will hold the required occupancy permit until a new homeowner complies with the law.

He said the homeowner must show that he or she has met city standards for an address before the final inspection.

"I ran across something the other day that told me even that isn't enough," said Murray. The building inspector supervisor realized that a homeowner changed the address after the final inspection was made. The new number didn't meet the city's requirement.

"I'm going to have to go back and make sure that is changed," he said. "There's a case where we did everything we're supposed to do, but the owner somehow didn't feel he needed to comply."

Added Murray, "This just shows a lack of public awareness of how important it is to have something that is easy to read and find. I'm sure the person delivering a pizza would sure appreciate it and so would the policeman and fireman. You don't think about this until it becomes part of your daily experience."

Murray offered some tips on the best places to put an address. The front entrance is a logical spot, or above the garage if it faces the main street. Also, if a mailbox is adjacent to three or four others in a multiple dwelling, a number near the entrance is critical when it comes to an emergency situation.