Helping Fire Fighters access hydrants

ISHPEMING — Snow storms not only cause a problem for normal day-to-day lives, but they also cause a problem for those whose jobs involve responding to fires and emergencies.

Emergency responders, such as fire fighters, often have a tougher time in the snow because of the lack of accessibility to fire hydrants. After snow storms, people tend to forget about hydrants when shoveling, leaving them covered up and inaccessible to fire fighters.

“Our fire hydrants are basically buried under snow,” said Ed Anderson, Fire Chief at the City of Ishpeming Fire Department. “If we get called to a house fire or structure fire, we need those. We need access to those fire hydrants as fast as we can. If the citizens can give us a little help by uncovering those hydrants; making a 3 foot area around those so they’re visible, and we have access to them, that would greatly speed our response time.”

Fire Departments urge people to keep snow away from fire hydrants when shoveling, and clearing snow around hydrants can also be helpful.