How to Find a Fire Hydrant in the Snow

You may be a professional firefighter, a volunteer or a member of a municipal crew...in any of these roles, you can find yourself on the front lines of a winter fire emergency. Locating fire hydrants requires communication between different offices. It's an example of how people must work together to respond to local emergencies.

Instructions

• 1

  Look for a fire hydrant marker. Some hydrants are equipped with thin metal markers that stand above the hydrant; you can recognize these in a snowdrift. This is the easiest way to find fire hydrants at a glance.

• 2

  Call your municipal office for maps of facilities. Hydrants should be mapped on development or land use plans or other resources kept on file at the municipal office. However, at many times there is no one to help you search through these documents to find hydrants when you need them. It's kind of a long shot.

• 3

  Use GIS to find hydrants. If your locality is "GIS-able", it has tagged all of its fire facilities for easy location with inventory software. GIS is a growing trend for municipal management, and with it, you stand a much better chance of being able to locate things like hydrants in an emergency.

• 4

  Call the fire chief or fire personnel. If you are not the regular responders, give them a call. They might have much-needed advice for you about how to respond to the fire and where to find the needed water sources. They can also tell you about problems with hydrants you found including low water pressure.

• 5

  Talk to residents. If residents are out, they may be able to help you respond by giving you tips on where hydrants are and any issues with existing hydrants.