CHENANGO COUNTY – Imagine standing outdoors in your slippers and robe on a freezing mid-February night, watching your home and its contents ablaze as you wait for firefighters to arrive.
Firefighters get there quickly, but because the fire hydrant in front of your house is buried in snow and ice, time is wasted because they have to dig it out – precious minutes you can never get back.
With the recent large amounts of snowfall leaving nearly six-feet-high piles of snow along county curbsides, area fire departments are calling on community members to ensure that the all important hydrants are cleared in the event of a fire emergency by “adopting a hydrant.”
“Residents should be aware of where their nearest fire hydrant is in proximity to their residence and make sure that they are shoveled at least three feet from the sides and back and cleared all they way out to the roadway,” said Village of Oxford Fire Chief Mike Cobb.
Cobb said that the amount of time that would take the department to clear large amounts of snow from around hydrants could significantly impact the outcome of a fire call, and that the chore is everyone's civic responsibility.
While area road crews have done an excellent job clearing roadways for motorists to travel, much of that snow ends up on curbs burying the hydrants effective placing them out of sight. “This is especially important this week with all the snowfall that we’ve had here in Chenango County,” said Cobb.
Residents unsure of the nearest hydrant location to thier homes are encouraged to contact their local fire department.