Help keep them clear, please.

The Red Bank Volunteer Fire Department is asking residents to lend a hand in keeping fire hydrants accessible in case of emergency.

Though department members are dispatched during and after snowfalls to remove snow around hydrants, Deputy Fire Marshall Tommy Welsh says the department appreciates the
help of residents and business owners in keeping the hydrants clear.

“We could use the help,” Welsh says.

Residents are asked to take a moment when maintaining their yards and sidewalks to ensure that department personnel can quickly connect to a hydrant. This can speed suppression efforts in the event of a fire, says Welsh.

That’s particularly true in heavy snows and other emergencies that
prompt the chief to call for stand-bys, when firefighters await calls
at their respective firehouses instead of at their homes and
businesses, he says.

Having volunteers arrive at a call by firetruck rather than their own vehicles is preferrable when streets are covered in snow or ice, Welsh says.

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