Fire / EMS FAQs

What are township regulations regarding burning?
Burning and fires within the Township are regulated by Township Ordinance. Burning may take place only from dawn to dusk and only Monday through Saturday. NO burning is allowed on Sunday.

Containers are limited to a 55-gallon drum or a 3' X 3' pit. Persons may not burn any materials that emit smoke or noxious fumes. Permit necessary.

To access the burning permit, click HERE.

Any fire maintained on property in excess of ten acres and used exclusively for agricultural purpose is allowed, after obtaining the required permit.

Why it is so important for me to have my house address posted?
Locating you quickly in your time of EMERGENCY without delay is the goal. When a Northampton County Emergency dispatcher dispatches any emergency service unit whether it is Fire, EMS (Emergency Medical Services, Law Enforcement or First Responders to your residence in your time of need, having your address posted clearly and visible at the roadway allows them to find you much quicker.

Why should the numbers be reflective and why should the numbers be so large?
So that your address may be seen during the day or night and will be reflected by headlights of emergency response vehicles. It is best not to assume that during your time of emergency that "power operated" or "solar powered" signage will be adequately visible. If the power is out or the weather does not permit your solar device to work effectively you risk a delay. The size of the required numbers - 4" is required to be clearly visible from a moving emergency response vehicle.

How is an Emergency Responder going to see my reflective numbers on my home if I live way off of the road?
Allen Township Code requires that if your home is located more than 30 feet of the roadway that the reflective address signs also be placed on a mounted post at the entrance of your driveway. Mounting your address high enough to avoid snow in the winter is important as well as not being blocked by bushes, flowers or branches.

I have my address on my mailbox, isn't that enough?
No it is not. In your time of emergency the responding units will be trying to locate you near the address of your home and not where you receive your mail - which may be on the opposite side of the street of your residence. Having your address on your mailbox is fine for mail purposes but may not be adequate to locate the driveway to your home.

Should my house address be visible from both directions of the street?
Yes. Your house address should be visible from the roadway from either direction.

I am going to tell the Emergency Dispatcher exactly where I am when I call, so won't that be enough?
No one should assume that during their time of emergency that they will be able to speak - let alone clearly direct emergency responders. It is a known fact that during an emergency it is likely that your speech may be impaired for any sort of reason pertaining to your emergency. So please DO NOT assume you will be able to convey your location in an emergency.

I have called 911 before and no one had a problem finding me, so shouldn't they be able to find me again?
Again, no one should assume previous occurrences will affect future occurrences. Yes, Emergency Responders will be dispatched properly and provided with "cross streets" and in some cases "directions" regarding your location but if you have your address clearly posted in such a way that responding units can see your house address sign, then Emergency Responders will find you quickly. Remember, TIME IS CRITICAL in all situations where you may need help, so time lost trying to find you could mean the loss of life and/or property!

During my last emergency I had someone who was there with me go outside my home to flag down the responding emergency units letting them know where I was, can't I just get someone to do that again if I have another emergency?
Certainly a good idea but this does not take the place of posting your house address appropriately.

I have my address on my front door or on my front porch but we never use the front door - we always use the side or back door, should I consider posting my address there also?
Yes especially if your driveway leads mainly to that door.

Can I have my address posted in too many places on my property?
Absolutely not.