Fire Hydrants Need Our Help

Help out the Montclair Fire Department by clearing snow off fire hydrants.

With winter in full swing, snow is nothing new to Montclair. According to a report by the Montclair Fire Department, “snowstorms create a special concern for the Montclair Fire Department, with snowfalls and street plowing often hiding fire hydrants under large mounds of snow, making them difficult to find quickly. The MFD asks residents and business owners to help keep their neighborhood fire hydrants cleared so that in the event of a fire, firefighters don’t lose precious time locating and shoveling them out before being able to hook up to them. Time lost could mean all the difference in an emergency.”

Firefighters need a three-foot clearance on all sides of the the fire hydrants. Please help your Fire Department – and your neighbors – by ensuring that the hydrant in your area is readily visible and accessible in the event of an emergency.

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.

  fire hydrants, montclair, montclair fire department