The winter season provides its own set of obstacles for fire departments, but there’s one area that property owners can help with to improve response time.

Jefferson Fire Chief Jack Williams is asking property owners with fire hydrants on their easements to dig a path around them from the snow.

“We just need the snow scooped out approximately 2-3 feet around the entire hydrant and scooped out all the way to the curb. Because if there is snow sometimes when it gets really cold and it’s frozen, we can’t get the hoses hooked up. Or if you leave a two-foot drift (and/or) two-foot from the hydrant, it kinks the hose line and prevents us from getting water also.”

Williams says even though it’s not a requirement for property owners to shovel snow around fire hydrants, he believes that with their help, precious seconds can be saved in a fire situation.