Keep your fire hydrants clear
Help protect your home and neighborhood by clearing around fire hydrants after every snowfall.
Snow accumulation is the result of plowing and snow clearing, and can completely cover or restrict access to fire hydrant. When the snow falls, cold temperatures can limit melting, which may result in the problem of snow covered hydrants throughout the village.
Hydrants covered in snow means a slower response to responding to and extinguishing fires. This can result in catastrophic consequences if firefighters have to spend time locating a buried hydrant and/or clearing snow away from it, especially if the snow is heavily compacted from snow plowing and frigid temperatures. Keep in mind that firefighters need to access the sides of the hydrant, not just the top.
A hydrant covered in snow like the one pictured is not usable and will require the firefighters to dig it out, which wastes valuable time when responding to a fire.
So what should you do?
If you have a fire hydrant in front of or adjacent to your home or business, please clear all the snow at least three feet around it on all sides after every snowfall. Make sure that the hydrant is easily visible from the road, and that there is enough room for firefighters to maneuver around it to easily connect fire hoses to it. The more often the snow is cleared, and the sooner it is after a fresh snow, the easier it is.