Adopt a Fire Hydrant

In the event of a fire emergency, could firefighters access the hydrant near your home?

Is there a fire hydrant in front of your home or your neighbor’s home?

We are encouraging residents to “adopt a fire hydrant” near their home and keep snow shoveled away and vegetation trimmed back. This will ensure hydrants are visible and will greatly speed the response time in case of an emergency. Time spent by firefighters searching for and clearing hydrants buried in drifts or plowed snow is precious time lost to in saving a victims life or fight a spreading fire.

There is no cost for this program. By simply donating your time and effort you can help ensure your neighborhood is a little bit safer in the event of a fire.

At minimum, fire hydrants need to have enough snow or vegetation cleared away to be visible from the street. The best option is to clear a 3 foot circle around the fire hydrant, so firefighters have complete access in an emergency.

In addition don’t forget to keep hydrants and fire lanes clear of vehicles at all times.

If you believe there is an issue with a fire hydrant needing repair or attention, please contact one of our stations immediately.

Safety guidelines for clearing snow from fire hydrants

  1. Stop shoveling if you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, faint or ill and call 911 immediately.
  2. Clear at least a 3′ circle of snow from the area around the hydrant.
  3. Do not stand on the road way to shovel the hydrant and always be aware of all hazards including traffic.
  4. Do not put the snow cleared from the hydrant back into the street, in driveways, on the sidewalk, or any other right of ways.
  5. Do not use a snow plow! Hand shoveling or a snow blower is the best option for clearing snow from a hydrant.
  6. If working with a group to clear a number of hydrants, appoint a person to watch for hazards and traffic.
  7. Only clear snow from hydrants during daylight hours.
  8. Wear highly visible and proper weather related clothing when clearing snow from hydrants.
  9. If any parts of the hydrant are damaged or missing, such as caps, record the closest address and/or the hydrant number, if marked, and call any of our stations to report the issue.
  10. If you have any water or ice coming from any opening of the hydrant, record the closest address and/or the hydrant number, if marked, and call any of our stations to report the issue.