How neighbors can help firefighter crews respond as fast as possible in wintry weather
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- Firefighting is a time-sensitive job, but just like everyone else in wintry weather, firefighters can get slowed down too by all the snow and ice.
In order to keep fast response times and quick action at a call, neighbors can do their part to help, simply by using a shovel.
Clearing off a fire hydrant that's buried under a thick layer of snow is the last thing firefighters want to be doing when they respond to a fire call.
"It's just going to delay the other things that might need to be done," says Derek Erquhart, Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention at the South Bend Fire Department.
It's something neighbors might not even remember is by their home, especially when it's shielded by a blanket of snow.
Erquhart asks residents to not only clear the snow off nearby fire hydrants but also shovel a good three feet in all directions around them.
"What we want is people to work with us," Erquhart says. " We have a pretty important job, and time is of the essence when a call comes in so anything that can be done ahead of time is greatly appreciated on our part."
Because in this kind of weather, response times can already be delayed thanks to hazardous weather and road conditions.
"It's slower to get everywhere," explains Chief Steven Downey of the St. Joseph County Fire Territory. "You normally want to speed to the call, but this is a time when you need to be a lot more patient."
Downey says sometimes the hardest part is when the tanker is already parked.
"Getting to the calls are okay, but even just going from the call to somebody's house, now if you're taking a patient in and out of their house and you're traveling or trucking through the snow that's 18 inches deep, and you're trying to carry a cot or a patient through that," Downey explains. "So, everything takes just a little bit more effort, and a little more work to get it done."
Shoveling sidewalks, driveways, and a clear path to the front door of your home is key in case of an emergency.
Because when a loved one's life is on the line, or flames start to engulf your home, you'd prefer to see firefighters in action, rather than shoveling.
"Whenever you're having a bad moment, it seems like it takes forever for somebody to get there, but they will get there," assures Downey.
"Whether it's seconds or minutes, time is important when a true emergency happens," Erquhart says.
The Saint Joseph County Fire Territory reports that call volume for traffic related incidents has gone up in the last few days while all other kinds of calls have stayed about the same as normal.