FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 03, 2011
CONTACT: Cheryl Kraft, Chief Fire Marshal
(631) 702-2919

Public Service Announcement: Importance of Clearing Fire Hydrants

Recently, Newsday reported on a fire where the firefighters were hampered in their extinguishing efforts by a fire hydrant which had become partially obstructed by ice. While the article did state that the fire hydrant was not buried in snow, it re-iterated the importance of making sure fire hydrants are dug free of snow and ice. In addition, the New York State Fire Code requires that fire hydrants be maintained free of obstructions for a minimum of three feet all around the hydrant.

Since the end of December 2010, Long Island has endured one of the busiest snow seasons in a number of years, and a number of fire hydrants are still buried under several inches of snow and ice.

Time is of the essence when fighting a fire. A structural fire doubles in size every minute and getting water on the fire as soon as possible is the best way to limit damage and to afford someone trapped within the building the best chance at being rescued.

Digging a fire hydrant out will improve firefighter’s ability to connect to the fire hydrant and begin suppressing the fire. Precious minutes could be wasted if a fire hydrant needs to be dug out of the snow. Please make every effort to clear the fire hydrant in front of your home or place of business. Your life, family and property could depend on those minutes.

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