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"There's been a few of them where we have to ride up and down the road looking for the correct address that isn't posted," Boys said.
Beaufort County Public Safety Director William Winn said the issue exists, in varying degrees, countywide and statewide.
Daufuskie firefighters are hoping to solve the problem, at least in their coverage area, by knocking on unaddressed doors to talk with residents -- and to provide and install three-inch, reflective address numbers.
"That's our goal for the end of the year," Boys said. "We want to make sure that everyone on Daufuskie Island has a 911-address posted, and that we have adequate access to their home."
Missing addresses have caused confusion in the past.
In one incident about three years ago, Boys said, a heart-attack call came in at about 1 a.m. An emergency crew rushed to the scene but couldn't find the victim because he lived in a multi-unit building with a single address. After trying several doors unsuccessfully, the crew returned to the station.
The story has a happy ending: A few minutes later, the caller dialed 911 again and provided more information, Boys said. Rescue workers located the man, and he survived.
It was a harrowing experience Boys hopes to avoid in the future.
Often, residents who don't display address numbers just don't want to be found.
" 'I don't want people to know where I live.' We run into that more than you would think," Winn said.
Anyone who doesn't display an address runs afoul of state law and could be fined, he said. But county officials don't seek offenders or enforce the policy.
"Number one, I don't have enough people to write tickets," Winn said.
Instead, the county tries to educate residents about the importance of address numbers, which Winn said usually works.
Winn also said most county emergency vehicles have a mobile data system that can pinpoint an address on a map, so if house numbers are missing or covered by foliage, 911 callers still can be found.
But there's no substitute for reflective numbers that are visible from the road.
"Anytime you post the address, it makes it easier for us to find you," Winn said.
While firefighters are clearing up the address issue, they'll also be working to fix confusing road designations.
Some streets, Boys said, have names on signs that differ from names in county databases.
In addition, he said, 911 callers often are confused by two very similar road names. For example, county GIS maps show a Martinangel Lane in one place on the island and a Martinangele Road in another.
"I'm hoping that the county's going to come over and help us get all that squared away," Boys said.
