As everyone knows by now, most of Burlington County is expected to receive anywhere from 12 - 16 inches of snow from this weekend's pending snowstorm. In addition to the snow; plowing, shoveling, and snow blowing can cover one of the fire department's main firefighting tools, the fire hydrant. During a major fire, valuable time and manpower could be lost trying to dig out a fire hydrant that has been covered in snow.

Township ordinance requires homeowners to clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of the end of a snow event. During the time you are clearing the snow from your property, please take a few extra moments to clear the snow from around any nearby fire hydrants. The few extra moments that residents take to clear the fire hydrants will provide valuable time to the fire department in the event of a major fire.

When clearing snow from around a fire hydrant make sure you remove snow from all sides of the hydrant. This will leave plenty for firefighters to access all parts of the fire hydrant when connecting hoses during a fire. The few moments you spend clearing out a fire hydrant will be of great benefit to the fire department and everyone in the neighborhood.