Missing House Numbers Raise Concerns In Amityville

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a glaring omission in the post-Sandy rebuilding process that's raising concern in one Long Island community.

After Superstorm Sandy, Village of Amityville Deputy Mayor Jessica Bernias said she realized many homes that were damaged had the house numbers removed and never replaced.

Seconds count in an emergency and a simple thing like having your house number clearly displayed could make the difference between life and death, Bernias said.

"The emergency response time is so important and vital. We have a senior citizen community here and we want to make sure that we can serve them the best possible way," Bernias said. "And if the house number is not clearly visible it causes a great deal of problems."

She said homeowners should place the numbers near the front door and the porch light, and make sure trees, flags, pillars and other items are not blocking the numbers.

"Nothing terrible has happened at this point in Amityville but we really want to be proactive," Bernias said. "Throughout the entire town we want them to make sure that their numbers are up in a visible place, particularly placed on the house so that they can be seen from the street."