Why is addressing a critical part of 911?
Correct addressing, assigned in a systematic and logical way, according to the standards of the Vermont 911 Board, helps emergency responders locate you in an emergency. Addressing in most municipalities is distance-based, so an address number assigned to a structure will tell responders approximately how far along a road they need to travel to reach the scene. For example, for a municipality that uses the recommended measuring system, the fire department will know that a call for a structure fire at 500 Central Street is approximately one-half mile down the road from the main intersection.
In addition, your 911 address is used to route your 911 call to the correct public safety answering point, (PSAP), and is associated with the correct emergency responders (Law/Fire/EMS) for that location. Accurate addressing ensures the call-taker can assist you and send the appropriate responders efficiently and effectively.
Do communities have the authority to create physical addresses?
Yes. Per Vermont law (30 VSA) and the 911 Board Technical and Operational Standards municipalities must designate an individual responsible for all addressing in their town. Addresses must be assigned by the municipal 911 coordinator and not the resident or developer.
Why is the town requiring me to change my address?
There are a few reasons that the town may be changing your address:
- The Vermont 911 addressing standards require that a private road name be created when there are three or more addresses which share a drive and that they be readdressed off that new drive.
- Your address was incorrect to start with.
- The majority of the towns in Vermont are addressed with the recommended distance based addressing standard. When 911 was first implemented, there were some towns which were “grandfathered” and allowed to keep their initial addressing scheme. Because of new development, new address numbers are sometimes unavailable or out of sequence, resulting in the need to readdress the entire road to comply with VT 911 addressing standards.
If you have any questions regarding addressing, please contact your municipal 911 coordinator. Find you addressing coordinator here.
What’s the difference between my 911 physical address and my mailing address?
Your 911 address is specific to the physical location of your structure and your mailing address is defined by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver your mail.
How do I know if my physical address is in the USPS addressing database?
You will need to contact your local postal authority to confirm your postal address.
How do I have my address added to the USPS addressing Database?
To update the USPS, work with your postmaster and/or your municipal 911 coordinator.
Why can’t UPS/FEDEX find my location?
UPS, FedEx and many other organizations use the USPS address database. This database is derived from mailing addresses and not necessarily your 911 physical address. If you do not receive mail at your physical address, or if you receive your mail from a surrounding town’s post office, these organizations may be unable to locate you because your 911 physical address does not exist in the USPS address database.
How do I check to see if my physical address is in VT 911 map?
You can check if your physical address is in the VT 911 map data by going to the E911 Viewer and searching for your address.
If your address is not showing on E911 Viewer, you can report the error using the "Report a Map Error" tool found in the "Quick E911 Tools" on the E911 Viewer shown below.
Or contact your municipal 911 coordinator and have them submit the address to our office. You can find your municipal 911 coordinator’s contact information here.
Google, Bing, TomTom or other entities cannot find my address. How do I get these third-party mapping applications to add my address?
Not being on one of these third-party mapping applications does not mean you are not on the 911 map. To confirm your 911 address please see the above link at: “How do I check to see if my physical address is in VT Enhanced 911 data/map?”
When you have a newly assigned address or it has been changed to conform to the Vermont Enhanced 911 Addressing Standards, the changes are not immediately available for viewing on web-based mapping sites. However, you can submit an update or change to the appropriate vendor by using the following link.