Residents Asked to “Adopt a Fire Hydrant” to Keep Clear of Snow

Winter snowfalls and road-plowing operations often cause some fire hydrants to become buried under the snow. The East Meadow Fire Department’s inability to locate or access a hydrant in the event of a fire could have disastrous consequences for your family or your neighbors.

The EMFD asks residents to do their part by “adopting” a fire hydrant. If you have a hydrant in front of or near your house, we respectfully ask that you shovel it out when it snows so that it will be visible and accessible for firefighters responding to a fire. By keeping hydrants clear of snow, the fire department can do its part to locate and connect to them. It’s important to note that fires double in size every minute, so every second counts when necessary to find and connect to a hydrant.

Adopting a fire hydrant is easy; all that’s required is that you:

• Clear a path from the hydrant to the street
• Clear a 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 Chiefs, officers, and members of 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.