Keep fire hydrants clear of snow: officials
Posted Dec 28, 2012 10:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Cochrane fire officials are asking people to make sure fire hydrants on their property are accessible after recent winter weather.
Falling and drifting snow have buried some hydrants, leaving firefighters to dig them out in the event of an emergency.
“Often times people are shoveling their driveway and they’re piling some of that extra snow where a hydrant might be, that can be an issue as well,” says Cochrane Firefighters Association President Jared Wallace.
He tells 660News every minute counts in the event of a blaze.
“Fires are very time sensitive emergencies and each fire doubles in size approximately every one minute,” he explains. “So if it takes us longer to access a fire hydrant, it’s going to cause the fire to spread more.”
Wallace is urging residents to call the town if they notice an obstructed fire hydrant; he says someone from public works or the Fire Department will then be able to come out and assess the situation.
