North Adams Fire department asks for help with hydrants

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Article Launched: 12/28/2007 10:27:48 AM EST


Friday, December 28
NORTH ADAMS — With more snow on the horizon, the North Adams Fire Department is asking residents to help them keep the city's fire hydrants clear by adopting one in their neighborhood.
Firefighters and city workers have been busy digging out hydrants over the course of the last two weeks.

"We've mostly cleared them all out," Fire Director Stephen Meranti said Thursday afternoon. "We had some hydrants that were really buried under the snow by private plowing companies."

He said the department marks each hydrant with a yellow reflective marker that should be visible above the snow drifts.

"We're asking people to take care of the hydrants around they're homes and businesses," Meranti said. "We're asking that people not put snow on or around the hydrants — that they push the snow away from them. If someone's out there snowblowing or shoveling, we'd appreciate if they could make a loop around the hydrant — about four feet wide."

He said the people reaping the benefits from clearing out the hydrant are those living near it.

"It's really to the benefit of the property owners," Meranti said. "This way, if there's a fire, the department



doesn't have to spend time locating and digging out the hydrant before tackling the fire."
He's also asking drivers to watch out for firefighters who are out clearing the snow from around the hydrants.

"The other day, we actually had people yelling at the firefighters for being in the road," Meranti said. "If one of our trucks is in the road, our guys are out in front of it clearing a hydrant, and we need people to slow down around the trucks. It's something that's going to be going on all winter."

— Jennifer Huberdeau