You won't find them in every yard, they stand at almost three feet tall, but there's likely one nearby, and fire hydrants can easily get buried in the snow if we're not all paying attention.
They're also incredibly important to everyone in your neighborhood when seconds count, explains Papillion Fire Department acting Battalion Chief Bob Engberg.
"Any seconds that you can help us when we get on scene is gonna eventually help the homeowner. 'Cause we don't wanna spend that extra two or three minutes to find the hydrant, then have to dig it out before we can go to work," says Engberg.
To make the hydrants easily accessible, firefighters have just a few simple requests.
"Make sure they're visible from the street and give us a good three to four feet all the way around they hydrant so we can get in and around the hydrant and do our work and get our hoses hooked up to it and everything," asks Engberg.
A few other small things can help firefighters and other first responders during snowy times, too.
"And also with all the snow, visibility is tough. So make sure your addresses are very visible and if you do call, if you're able to turn your porch light on, make sure porch lights are on so we can find the house easier at night and with the snow flying," adds Engberg.
Clearing snow from around fire hydrants and making sure your address is visible could save not only a house, but also a life.
