Seconds Save Lives – The #TheRightAddress Initiative for All of Austria

The #DieRichtigeAdresse (“The Right Address”) initiative is a nationwide safety campaign in Austria urging residents to make sure their homes are clearly identifiable — with visible house numbers, labelled doorbells and marked apartment doors. 

Emergency services, postal workers and municipal authorities often lose valuable time because addresses are hidden, outdated or incomplete. The campaign brings together Austria’s fire services, the Red Cross, Austrian Post and local government associations to raise awareness that simple, everyday signage can save lives and prevent critical delays.

With #DieRichtigeAdresse, the fire services, the Red Cross, Austrian Post, the Association of Austrian Cities and the Association of Austrian Municipalities are appealing to the public to check and update their address and name signage so they can be found more easily and more quickly.

Imagine an ambulance on its way to an emergency, but crucial minutes are lost because the house number is hidden behind an ivy wall or, in a high‑rise building, the name is missing from the doorbell. In a housing complex with a complicated numbering system and four different access points, the fire brigade might not find your entrance in an emergency because the signage is unclear. Austrian Post can only deliver important letters and parcels — such as pension notices or medication — if recipients are clearly identifiable. And for official documents, it is essential that the address is correct.

Together, the Austrian Red Cross, the Austrian Fire Brigade Association, Austrian Post, the Association of Austrian Cities and the Association of Austrian Municipalities are launching the #DieRichtigeAdresse initiative. The same campaign concept was implemented regionally in Tyrol in 2023 with great success; all partner organisations report significant improvements in address findability since the campaign. Now the initiative is being rolled out across Austria.

“We want not only to inform Austrians, but to activate them: a clearly visible house number, labelled doorbells and clear signage are the simplest life insurance in the world. Whether it’s the fire brigade, the Red Cross, Austrian Post or official documents from city and municipal administrations, such as registration authorities — all five organisations rely on correct and clearly visible residential addresses for different reasons. To raise awareness, we are joining forces and directing public attention to this important topic,” says Fire Brigade Vice President Günter Trinker.

Municipal Association President Johannes Pressl adds: 

“Clearly visible house numbers and correctly labelled doorbells save time in an emergency — and also make the work of municipalities easier and more reliable. Anyone who keeps their address up‑to‑date and easy to recognise makes an important contribution to safety and smooth cooperation with just a few simple steps. I therefore appeal to all citizens to help and support the #DieRichtigeAdresse campaign — so that we can all provide fast and effective help when the situation demands it.”

Association of Cities Secretary General Thomas Weninger: 

“Proper addressing is not only important for emergency services and the postal service, but also for cities and municipalities when official documents are sent. In addition, address data should be aligned between property management and the Building and Dwelling Register (GWR) — also to ensure clarity when new registrations are made in the Central Register (ZMR).”

How is it done?

A clearly visible and well‑lit house number, signage indicating stairways, and fully labelled intercoms, mailboxes and apartment doors — with name and unit number — can save crucial minutes in an emergency, guide rescue services to the right place, or ensure that urgent mail is delivered correctly and does not have to be returned.

Dominik Nagel, Head of Distribution East, Austrian Post AG:

“Our delivery staff are out across Austria every day, reliably bringing parcels and letters to the correct address. To do that, they need one thing above all: clearly labelled mailboxes, identifiable doorbells and signage on apartment doors. Keeping labels up‑to‑date not only makes delivery easier for the postal service, but also helps emergency services reach their destination more quickly in critical situations.”

A one‑time effort of just a few minutes is enough to update all signage and ensure that the fire brigade and Red Cross can help quickly in an emergency — and that all parcels and letters are delivered correctly.

Signage Needed in Three Areas

First, the house number. When the Red Cross or fire brigade is dispatched to an emergency, the coordinates and exact address are transmitted directly from the control centre to the vehicle’s onboard computer. The crew drives straight to the address. Once there, it is essential that the house number is visible from the vehicle. Anything that obscures house numbers — posters, shrubs or trees, streetlights, poles, seasonal decorations, or, in the worst case, missing numbers — makes it harder to find the destination.

“Therefore, we ask all property owners to check whether the signage is clearly visible from a distance and from all directions,” says Monika Stickler, Deputy Federal Rescue Commander of the Austrian Red Cross.

The second important sign is the doorbell label, especially in multi‑unit buildings. A complete doorbell label includes at least the surname, possibly the floor, and certainly the apartment number.

“Third,” Stickler continues, “the apartment door must also be fully labelled. Again, we ask that at least the surname be displayed. If residents have different surnames, it is helpful to list all names on the door. After calling emergency services, please open all doors, turn on the lights and, if possible, send someone to guide responders to the first entrance,” adds Stickler.

Further information, photos and videos can be found on the campaign website: www.dierichtigeadresse.at

Cover Photo by Mathias Seyfert: 

From left to right: Municipal Association President Johannes Pressl, Association of Cities Secretary General Thomas Weninger, Deputy Federal Rescue Commanderr Monika Stickle, Dominik Nagel – Austrian Post AG, Fire Brigade Vice President Günter Trinker.

More photos from the press conference:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oebfv/albums/72177720335548524

Additional material (videos, etc.):

http://fire.cc/dra

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For further inquiries, please contact:

Andreas Rieger, MA

Austrian Fire Brigade Association

Communications Unit

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