The Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department asks the community for assistance in clearing snow from around fire hydrants in their neighborhood.

We realize that residents are busy at work "digging out" from the storm, clearing driveways and sidewalks to simply gain access to vehicles and doorways. While doing so, we ask that you take time to clear snow from nearby fire hydrants as well.

The large amount of snow accumulation, combined with the after-effects of plowing roads and parking lots has left many local fire hydrants partially or completely buried in snow. This of course creates a challenge for responding firefighters. Critical moments can be lost if time is needed to clear and expose hydrants for water accessibility to responding apparatus.

"We ask that residents safely venture out and assess the hydrants in their community, and shovel an area of at least three feet from all sides." said Stafford County Fire and Rescue Chief Rob Brown. "This is a great opportunity to get the kids involved in a valuable community service".

If hydrant locations are unknown due to the depth of the snow, residents are asked to contact their local fire and rescue station for assistance in locating them. A list if Stafford County Fire and Rescue stations can be found at http://www.staffordfirerescue.com/content/station/.

In addition to blocked fire hydrants, the lingering snow presents additional hazards, including prolonged icy roads due to thaw and freeze cycles, as well as the potential for structure collapse due to the added weight to roofs.