Fire Hydrants

Each time a firefighters pager sounds .... the unknown is on the other end. That other end is the incident scene. House fire, car fire, vehicle crash, person trapped from a collapse .... no telling until the first unit arrives and assesses the scene.

One thing that is important during winter months as a property owner is assure that the fire hydrant is clear of snow. Winter weather is already a problem, but when a fire truck arrives and firefighters need to use that buried hydrant, minutes are wasted because the crew must now dig their way to that buried hydrant. It could be YOUR home that is burning and water is delayed because you or your neighbor did not take a few extra minutes to clear the hydrant of snow. Please help us !

It is recommended to clear at least 3 feet all around the hydrate to assure acceptable access.

When you are preparing to park, remember, parking in front of a fire hydrant is prohibited. You are obstructing access to water that may be needed for fire fighting operations. Parking/Obstructing a fire hydrant can result in a parking fine and within some municipalities, your car towed away. Save the hassle of fines and paying to get your car back by parking smart. Please, DO NOT park in front of a fire hydrant. Your car could look like the car to the right --------->

Many municipalities have painted boxes to inform you a hydrant is there and parking is prohibited. If there is no painted box, in New York State, 15 feet clearance is required from the hydrant.

The Photo above is a well cleared hydrant. The photo to the right is a hydrant buried by snow. This photo was taken at night. Would you be able to tell that a fire hydrant exists ? Think of the fire truck operator and his crew trying to identify a hydrant. Yes, there is a reflective pole, but, that can easily be missed. So PLEASE, keep your hydrant free of snow.

If you are not able to clear the snow around the hydrant, by notifying your local DPW office, a crew may be sent over to clear the snow.