Leaders in South Orange and Maplewood are asking for help in clearing hydrants from mounds of snow.
South Orange Village Trustee Howard Levison made the request thusly: “South Orange firefighters need citizens to help clear snow from around fire hydrants in our neighborhoods. With your help, fire personnel can access the fire hydrants in the Village that can help save property and lives.”
From the Maplewood Fire Department:
Can you see the hydrant? Neither can we.
Winter storms, especially one of the magnitude this weekend, can often hide fire hydrants under a mountain of snow making them impossible to find quickly.
The Maplewood Fire Department would like to remind residents to please “Adopt-a-Hydrant” and shovel in front of and around the fire hydrant closest to your home so that firefighters can see and access it.
If possible, please clear the snow three feet in all directions and clear the access from the street to make it possible for firefighters to attach hoselines to the hydrant. Seconds count during a fire and the time it takes a firefighter to dig out a buried hydrant could make all the difference in the outcome at a fire.
Firefighters will be checking hydrants and digging them out as needed after the storm, but any assistance residents can provide will be helpful in the event of a fire. We realize that the last thing anyone wants to do after shoveling out their property is to clear more snow but the extra effort could be life-saving.
Thank you.
