Clear Those Fire Hydrants and Gas Meters!

It’s a given that if you ever need the assistance of your local fire department, they will answer your call for help.

But, there are times when your local firefighters could use a little help – and this is one of those times.

With the Christmas Holiday snowstorm dumping huge amounts of snow throughout the area, in many places, fire hydrants have been covered by snow. Elgin Fire Chief Jim Kittelson said anyone with a fire hydrant adjacent to their property, or in their neighborhood, is asked to help out the volunteer firefighters by shoveling out and clearing snow from those hydrants.

Just a few minutes of effort could mean the difference between life and death in case of a fire. Instead of wasting precious seconds to dig out a hydrant, firefighters could attach hoses and fight flames, rather than snow, during an emergency.

Most hydrants in Elgin are marked with flags, but in some cases, flags have been covered or are missing, so any help that can be provided by area residents would be greatly appreciated by the volunteer firefighters.

Kittelson said if anyone can’t do it, they should contact him at (402) 741-1858 and leave a message.

The public is reminded to avoid piling snow on hydrants and leave street-side access to hydrants.

Another potential danger exists with gas meters and phone pads which may have been covered up with snow. For safety reasons, these too should be cleared of snow.

One more thing, Kittelson said persons using fireplaces should check them to make sure they are clean.