Hospital Sign Design Guidelines
City Guidelines Regarding the Installation of “Hospital” (D9-2), “Advance Turn” (M5 Series) and “Directional Arrow” (M6 Series) Signs
Traffic Services Division of the Department of Public Works
Governing Document Reference:
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), 2009 or latest edition and the Overland Park Municipal Code 12.04.
MUTCD Requirements:
“Hospital” (D9-2) signs are considered to be general service signs. It is quite likely that general service signs for hospitals and police assistance will be desirable or necessary where such services are infrequent, and are to be found only on an intersecting highway or crossroad. The “Hospital” (D9-2) signs, if used at intersections, shall be accompanied by a directional message such as the “Advance Turn” (M5 series) or “Directional Arrow” (M6 series) auxiliary signs.
The sign should be installed at a suitable distance in advance of the turn-off point or intersecting street. Individual states that elect to provide service signing should establish a statewide policy or warrant for its use and criteria for the availability of services, based on national guidelines. Local jurisdictions for such signing should follow the state policy for the sake of uniformity.
City of Overland Park Guidelines for Installation:
The City of Overland Park has established the following policy for the installation of hospital signing that is consistent with the policy of the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Definition of Hospital:
A facility that has:
- 24-hour service, 7 days a week
- Emergency department facilities with a Physician (or Emergency Care Nurse on duty within the Emergency department with a physician on-call) trained in Emergency Medical procedures on duty
- Licensed or approved for definitive medical care by an appropriate State authority
- Equipped for radio voice communications with ambulances and other hospitals
Purpose of Signing
The purpose of the "Hospital" sign is to direct motorists that are in need of immediate emergency medical attention from the state highway to the nearest emergency medical facility. An emergency medical (hospital) facility is defined above. The signs are installed to specifically target the motorist who is unfamiliar with the area and not necessarily local traffic.
As a means of limiting the number of choices for the traveling public in a medical emergency as well as reducing the number of redundant signs, the City of Overland Park does not install these signs for the purpose of routing individuals to different emergency medical facilities. As with other motorist service signs, the “Hospital” sign will only be installed on City streets in conjunction with the State installing similar signage on their state highway.
Signing Standards:
The “Hospital” (D9-2) sign, “Advance Turn” (M5 series) and “Directional Arrow” (M6 series) signs shall have retro-reflectorized white letters, symbols and border on a retro-reflectorized or opaque blue background. The “Hospital” (D9-2) sign shall be 24”x24” and the “Advance Turn” (M5 series) and “Directional Arrow” (M6 series) signs shall be 21”x15”.
The sign shall have either symbols or word messages, but the intermixing of symbols and word messages on one sign shall not be permitted.