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Fire officials ask residents to clear snow from fire hydrants

Firefighters are reminding residents to shovel out fire hydrants as winter continues.

MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Piles of snow are still very visible throughout Monroe County after last week's snowstorm dumped up to three feet of snow in some parts of the Poconos.

Underneath all the white stuff, you might find a fire hydrant. Fire officials are asking you to shovel it out.

"It is valuable. Seconds count, as you know, in a fire. Seconds count. Whether it's a foot of snow, two-foot, or three-foot like we get up here, anything you can do just to get the snow out of the way, it does help," said Coolbaugh Township Assistant Fire Chief Tomas Keane.

Keane says fires are not seasonal and can happen at any time, but winter fires can be very dangerous if firefighters can't get to a hydrant because of snow.

"It's major important. We did have a house fire in the middle of our three-feet storm. Luckily enough, we had trucks that were able to plow ahead of us, and we were able to dig out the hydrant and get water to the fire," said Keane.

The idea is to completely clear the fire hydrant to give firefighters enough area to work around it.

Keane suggests following a simple rule.

"Make it as wide as possible. We do ask, and it's required three foot by three foot. You can get in there, open the hydrant, attach the hose at all three sides. Whatever you can do to help," said Keane.

In Coolbaugh Township, if you shovel out your nearest hydrant and post a picture of it, you'll be rewarded later this spring.

"We will repay you and thank you with a good old pizza party, gifts for the kids, and some fire truck rides," said Keane.

Fire officials tell Newswatch 16, hydrants should be cleared within 24 hours of snowfall.

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