Vernon County, Missouri is currently undergoing significant changes to our addressing system necessary to meet 9-1-1 compliancy.  This section is intended to help you understand what changes are taking place and how they will benefit our county as a whole.

What is a 9-1-1 address?
Simply put, it is an address with a “street number” that makes it easy to locate you and/or your property in case of an emergency. Of course there are other perks, like package and pizza delivery.

Who will receive a 9-1-1 address?
Generically, everyone living within the county. If you have a rural route number, your address will be changing. If you live within an incorporated community and already have a street number; chances are you’re already 9-1-1 compliant and will not change – though inevitably there will be some that will change due to improper sequencing.

Why do we need to switch from our existing rural box numbers (ie: RR#8 Box 126c)?
While there are systems in place with the local post offices that help their mail carriers locate a rural route box, those systems aren’t typically useable or easy to follow for anyone else.

When will I receive a 9-1-1 address?
The county is currently on track to convert the entire county by the end of 2008.

Why will it take that long to get an address?
Small budget, small manpower, BIG workload… and lots of ground to cover. Before we can assign addresses we have to gather all of the existing addresses via GPS (Global Positioning Satellites). The GPS points gathered help to assure for a more accurate and appropriate number assignment. This is also done because we need to be able to give many large agencies — including-but-not-limited-to the post offices and telephone companies — a way to convert in-bulk all of the old addresses into the new addresses.

I want to help move things along, can I assign my own address?
I say this nicely… No. Simply because; if we allow one the opportunity, then we have to allow all the opportunity. What would happen is a case of “Too many Chefs in the kitchen”. While each may be have their own brilliant recipe; in the end, really only one should go in the pot. Else, you risk something no one would want to eat. If you really want to help… please make sure your existing address is clearly visible. Those who will have to wait the longest for an address are those whose addresses aren’t marked, and therefore require more research time.