Hey, Bangor! Friendly reminder to shovel out those fire hydrants

Now that snow is on the ground around Maine, here is a friendly reminder of your civic duty- clear around the fire hydrants.

Some people may think it's soleyly a government responsibility but, really, it's not. It's up to us ordinary citizens to keep our fire hydrants clear of snow so that in the event of a fire emergency fire fighting crews can access the hydrants.

Here's something to take into consideration. According to bangortownship.org, it takes about 45 seconds for a fire fighter to connect a hose to a fire hydrant. Think of all of the extra time it will take for fire fighters to have to find a fire hydrant, dig it out and then get to fighting the fire. That's time that could be spent saving a home or a life.

In the past, the Bangor Fire Department have put out information to citizens to help out with clearing out the cities fire hydrants, which city workers do clear out. But, if you have a fire hydrant around your property, it may just be best to take on the responsibility of clearing snow out around it, if you can. Besides, that fire hydrant may become the reason why your house is saved from major fire damage if their is an emergency.

So, here's the reminder to take care of that fire hydrant by clearing out the snow around it. It has been advised to clear out a 3 foot area around a hydrant so it can be accessible and visible from the road. Also, creating a path to the fire hydrant would also be very helpful to be able to get to the fire hydrant safely and easily.