Neighbor News
Residents Reminded to “Adopt a Fire Hydrant” Keep them Clear of Snow
If you have a hydrant in front of or near your house, the Fire Commissioners respectfully ask that you shovel it out when it snows.
Fire hydrants are essential to the fire department’s efforts to keep the community safe. As winter snowfalls and road-plowing operations are inevitable this time of year, those conditions can also lead to fire hydrants becoming buried under the snow. The East Meadow Fire Department’s inability to locate and access a buried hydrant in the event of a fire could have disastrous consequences for your family or neighbors.
The East Meadow Fire District’s Board of Commissioners asks residents to do their part by “adopting” a fire hydrant. If you have a hydrant in front of or near your house, the Commissioners respectfully ask that you shovel it out when it snows. This simple act significantly reduces the time our volunteer firefighters need to locate and connect to the hydrant, enabling them to respond to a fire more quickly and effectively. By keeping hydrants clear of snow, you directly improve the fire department’s response time in case of a fire.
Adopting a fire hydrant is simple; all you need to do is:
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- Clear a path from the hydrant to the street;
- Clear a 36-inch (three-foot) perimeter around the hydrant;
- Remove ice and snow on the hydrant.
By helping the fire department, you’re helping yourself, your family, and your community to stay safe. The Board of Fire Commissioners and the men and women who volunteer with the EMFD thank you for your cooperation and assistance.
The East Meadow Fire Department, which covers East Meadow and parts of Levittown and Westbury (Salisbury), is always looking for new members to join their ranks as firefighters or emergency medical personnel; no experience is necessary. The fire department provides the training required. There are numerous benefits associated with volunteering, including tax breaks, college scholarships, annual health checkups, life insurance, and a service award pension program, all at no cost. For more information on volunteering with the East Meadow Fire Department, visit www.eastmeadowfd.com, or call 516-542-4565.
