With the winter weather already gracing our great valley, it is more important than ever to manage the hydrant or hydrate closest to your house. While the fire department works hard to shovel out hydrants during the winter, it is a community and neighborhood effort that ensures that the hydrants are easily accessible for the quickest water supply. When your house is the one the fire engine is responding, you wouldn't want anything to slow the ability to get water on the flames.
The "Keep Fire Hydrants Clear of Snow" post on the Cinnaminson Fire Department, just northeast of downtown Philadelphia, has a great guide on how to shovel out your hydrant.
"It takes five minutes to shovel out a fire hydrant and those five minutes could turn out to be livesaving if a fire breaks out in your home or a neighbor's home. Critical time is wasted when firefighters arrive on the scene of a fire and have to dig out a fire hydrant that has not been cleared of snow or ice.
Here are some notes about keeping fire hydrants clear during the winter months:
Remove snow and ice within a 3-foot perimeter of the hydrant
Shovel a pathway from the hydrant to the street so firefighters can access it
Try to remove any ice that might have formed on the hydrant itself"
To get help clearing your hydrant or report a hydrant which needs cleaning, please call the Sun Valley Fire Department at (208) 622-8234.
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