Emergency services need to know where you live easily and quickly, RAPID numbers make this possible. Is yours correct?
RAPID numbers are vital for emergency services and are still used as the primary means of locating properties.
RAPID stands for Rural Address Property Identification. This system gives every rural property with a dwelling an address, which means simple identification of the exact location within a rural area.
The RAPID system assigns a number using the distance measured from the start of the road to the main vehicle access of the property.
General numbering rules still apply. Rural RAPID address numbers are calculated by dividing the distance in metres from the start of the road to the main vehicle access by ten. This number is then rounded to a whole and adjusted to an even or odd number, whichever is required.
Emergency response relies upon a verified location or address point; the RAPID system is the main method used.
GPS is used by emergency services, but only when a call is made from a portable or mobile device and uses cell tower triangulation to help verify a location. This is far less accurate in rural locations due to the sparse number of towers.
Should someone require emergency help in a remote location without cell tower triangulation, and uses a cell phone to call emergency services, they will still need to give details of a RAPID address for the location.
The RAPID number should be displayed on the gate post at the property entrance from the road, or at the end of the legal and formed road as appropriate.
The number should be placed on the far gate post from the direction that emergency services will be coming from.
The number should be always visible and clear of vegetation.
Generally, only dwellings and businesses are required to be numbered.
Buildings that only have occasional use such as shearing sheds are not required to be numbered.
If a dairy shed has individual access off the road it is required to be numbered.
If a dwelling uses the same access road as a dairy shed, the dwelling’s number can be used to locate the entrance to the property. The Fonterra or Synlait farm number can then be used to locate the dairy shed.
Where there is more than one dwelling on a site, each should have its own number displayed accordingly.
If more than one dwelling is accessed off the same point on the road then an alpha suffix should be used for each dwelling – with the suffixes running in the same direction as the underlying road numbering.
In these instances, numbering can get confusing quickly. Council can assess the property numbers free of charge and assign numbers following Council and Land Information New Zealand’s numbering policies. Contact Scott Rose at Council on 314-0047 or scott.rose@hurunui.govt.nz to have your property assessed.
Signage should be placed at appropriate points on-site to direct emergency services to the dwellings.
If it is not immediately apparent where the dwelling is from the entry point to the property (i.e., the dwelling is located some distance away via forking farm tracks and difficult to locate) then signage should be placed at appropriate points on-site to direct emergency services to the dwellings.
It is strongly advised that you check with Council that your property number is correct.
There are many instances where farms may have had the same number for many years but for several reasons, it is no longer correct. Such reasons could include:
Historical incorrect or non-numbering that has never been rectified.
Provisional numbers being assigned at subdivision and have not been updated when development occurs.
Subsequent dwellings or businesses constructed on a property and numbers have not been assigned.
Vehicular access to a property being relocated without Council knowledge and property not re-numbered.
Alternative display methods (vertical numbering/different
coloured backing) are appropriate, if they are clear, bold, and visible at
night. This being said, we have a preferred style and strongly encourage you to
use this.
