The bill would mandate that house numbers be at least three inches high and of a contrasting color with their background.
The legislature is considering a bill that would regulate how homeowners display their house numbers.
The bill was the idea of Democratic state Rep. Lou Esposito from West Haven.
"Some years back, I had a problem in my own neighborhood, where an ambulance was looking for an address and couldn't find it so it stopped him and said, 'What are you looking for?' And he told me, and I said, 'Go to the top of the hill,'" Esposito said. "It got me thinking. How many times are ambulance, police, fire looking for a house number and can't find it?"
Esposito's bill passed out of the legislature's Public Safety and Security Committee. It's supported by the Connecticut State Firefighters Association.
If adopted into law, the bill would mandate that house numbers be at least three inches high and of a color contrasting with the background on which they're posted. It also would require they be placed between four and 12 feet above ground.
Esposito said that towns and cities could pass their own ordinances spelling out enforcement. He also said he's getting pushback from some lawmakers who say the numbers can look ugly. So he's exempting historic districts, but his point is clear.
"If you're having a heart attack, you want someone to find your home as quickly as possible," Esposito said.
The bill is ready to be voted on by the House of Representatives.
Esposito said he's still working to build bipartisan support.
