Tinton Falls FD: Be a Good Neighbor and Clear Snow from Hydrants

On your way home tonight, pay attention to where the closest fire hydrant is to your home, and when you're out shoveling snow on Saturday, take a few minutes to clear the hydrant as well. It could save a life.

"Fire doubles in size every 45 to 60 seconds," says Brendan Tobin, a member of . "Firefighters lose time if they need to look for a water source."

Tobin says the borough's primary task is to clear roadways following a snowstorm and that residents could assist the four all-volunteer fire companies in town by clearing hydrants in their neighborhoods.

After last year's snowy deluge, Tobin says firefighters "couldn't keep up" with clearing all the hydrants in town.

As plows clear roadways, hydrants often get buried under snow drifts and can't be located in an emergency. Tobin says that even the flags attached to hydrants in the borough aren't enough as they are flexible and often get weighed down under the snow.

"We went out three times last year to clear (hydrants)," says Tobin. "People just don't know that they're putting themselves in jeopardy."