Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ETSB?

The Emergency Telephone System Board or ETSB is an administrative agency of Jersey County government established by the Jersey County Board pursuant to a statutory mandate after the citizens of Jersey County approved the collection of a surcharge to fund the implementation of enhanced 911 service. The ETSB's powers and duties are defined by the Emergency Telephone System Act (50 ILCS 750) and include implementing and overseeing 911 service in Jersey County.

Why were new addresses needed for 911?

New addresses were needed because the existing addresses were neither uniform nor consistent throughout the county. Also, rural routes do not represent a physical address for residences or businesses, but a source for routes to be taken and/or a mail drop. Because 911 deals with sending responders to a specific address, a uniform and specific method to determine the location of callers was needed.

How is the addressing system laid out?

The ETSB is using the same format as the rural reference system in that a point of origin is located in the southwestern corner of the county. As one travels north and east in the county the numbers increase, each mile representing another jump in the first two digits of the address. The primary difference is that instead of starting at 000 by 000, the start point was set as 10,000 by 10,000, allowing for a uniform 5 digits throughout the county.

Why are 5 digit addresses needed?

Jersey County does not have an ordinance or resolution restricting land development, therefore there isn’t a guideline as to how many times a piece of land may be subdivided. The ETSB decided that a format which would cover a maximum number of homes per mile was needed. 

With 5 digits, each mile of road is capable of supporting a theoretical maximum of 1,000 homes (0-998 on one side of the road and 1-999). The addresses can be thought of as mile marker and an equal 1,000th division of a mile. The system can also be seen as the first three digits representing a block number and the last two as a house number.

I have a 911 address, why is it changing?

There are occasions when an existing 9-1-1 address may need to be changed in order to conform to Jersey County's addressing standards. Most of the time this occurs when the road/lane/drive (public or private) that a structure accesses needs to be given a unique name due to more than three structures accessing the same road/lane/drive. When a new road name is assigned, the address range for the road is calculated and the structures on the road are assigned a numerical address within the address range. 

For more information regarding the necessity of assigning appropriate addresses, click here to download/read the Jersey County 9-1-1 Addressing & Street Naming Frequently Asked Questions & Guidelines.

I have a new address, why does it not show in my GPS unit, my navigation device or on sites like Google Earth/Maps?

GPS companies usually obtain data from national or global commercial data providers who may not have the most up-to-date files.  Additionally, these companies may not update their data on a regular basis.  The Jersey County 9-1-1 System has no control over how often GPS providers update their information and it may take a period of time before your new address is locatable using these systems.     

Why don’t the cities have 5 digit numbers?

According to Illinois law, municipalities have the right to self-determination in road names and house numbers. Therefore by being a incorporated area, or a municipality, they are responsible for setting and determining an addressing system. The ETSB has been tasked with determining and implementing a uniform addressing system for the unincorporated or non-municipal areas.

These areas also include areas that may already have addresses but yet do not fit into the uniform system for the entire county.  Specifically the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/11-80-18 and 11-80-19 (West 1994)) unambiguously vest the authority to regulate street names, building and lot numbers within the corporate boundaries of a municipality in the corporate authorities thereof:

"The corporate authorities of each municipality may regulate the numbering of buildings and lots . No change in the numbering of buildings and lots shall be effective until 30 days after the election authorities having jurisdiction in the area in which such numbering is changed and the post office branch serving that area  have been notified by the corporate authority initiating such action of the change in writing by certified or registered mail." (Emphasis added.)

"The corporate authorities of each municipality may name originally and then may change the name of any street, avenue, alley, or other public place . No change in the name of any street, avenue, alley or other public place shall be effective until 30 days after the election authorities having jurisdiction in the area in which the name of the public place is changed and the post office branch serving that area have been notified by the corporate authority initiating such
action of the change in writing by certified or registered mail." (Emphasis added.)

What happens if a municipality that has a different addressing system annexes me?

According to Illinois law the municipality has the right to use the existing address or to issue an address, which conforms, to their system of addressing.

I got an address notification and my name was wrong or misspelled, do I need a new notification?

Not necessarily, the primary focus of the address notification is to get the rural route and box information tied with a more permanent structure number. The database that will be used as the backbone of the 911 system will come from updated telephone records. As citizens inform the telephone companies of the new 911 address by using the address change area of the billing statement, 911 will have its records corrected as the companies update their records.

What if the route number or box number is wrong on the notification?

Call the 911 office to start the correction process.

I got two address notifications for one box number, but they are different from each other, and I don’t have a reason to have two addresses. What should I do?

Call the 911 office and notify them of the problem. Often a mistype or some other kind of error is the reason for the duplicate number, the 911 office will be able to start a correction process.

I am building a new structure on my property and will have a different telephone number for that place do I need another 911 address, and if so, how do I get one?

Call the 911 office, and arrange a time for an address to be assigned.

Why was GPS used to determine my address?

The Global Positioning System was used, to determine to a high degree of accuracy, the location of structures and driveways in the county. Of the various systems that could be used to determine the location, GPS was the easiest, economical, and most reliable system available to the ETSB. The Global Positioning System was also used to create maps of the roads in the county.