With areas of St. Michael, Hanover, Otsego and Albertville seeing more than 8 inches of new snow Saturday, Feb. 24, local firefighters are asking residents to help them out this week.
Water hydrants on street corners are often buried in plowed snow. Though fiberglass poles stick out from the snowbanks to alert trucks to a hydrant’s location, the men and women serving the communities are asking residents to “adopt a hydrant” in their neighborhood and dig out the utility.
Nationally, fire chiefs recommend a 3-foot ring around the hydrant, allowing firefighters to uncap the hydrant and attach hoses.
In an life-or-death situation, the minutes needed to dig snow away from a hydrant can mean the difference between saving a structure or losing the entire thing.
