BEVERLY - If there's a fire this winter, the shoveled path from the front door to the street may be enough to save yourself, but not necessarily your house.
The Beverly Fire Department is reminding residents to dig out any nearby hydrants that are covered by snow. After the two storms Thursday and Sunday, firefighters have been out daily shoveling off hydrants, but with only 10 employees on duty at a time it's difficult for them to get to all the hydrants in the city and still cover emergencies.
"We always look for the public's help," Capt. Peter O'Connor said. "We have enough water on the trucks to start a fire attack ... but we really rely on a permanent water supply."
With hoses that pump 175 gallons of water per minute, the water inside the trucks lasts about three minutes. It's enough to extinguish a small blaze, but access to a hydrant is essential for any serious fire, he said.
In the past, residents have been helpful, O'Connor said, but people often clear only the top of the hydrant, or nothing at all.
"People shovel out their mailbox, but the hydrant that's 2 feet away stays buried," he said.
The Fire Department uncovers about 4 feet in front of the hydrant in order to fit their appliances onto it, and 2 to 3 feet on either side.
If residents are aware there's a hydrant outside their house but can't find it, there's usually a blue arrow painted in the middle of the street, next to the yellow line, that points to where it is, O'Connor said.
