Recently the village experienced a blizzard from winter storm Grayson. The Mineola Fire Department was called out several times during the blizzard for situations that ranged from carbon monoxide alarms to stuck elevators to activated fire alarms. Plows cleared the snow from village roadways resulting in mounds of snow piling up along village streets, covering fire hydrants in the process.
The village encourages residents and merchants to take a few moments to insure that any hydrants in the vicinity of their property are adequately shoveled out. The Mineola Water Department has installed a hydrant locator flag on the hundreds of hydrants within the village. This may assist in location but access is critical when the fire department is called to duty.
Rob Connolly, the assistant chief of the Mineola Fire Department would like to thank residents who have already cleared their hydrant. Connolly also suggests residents to adopt a local fire hydrant. The “Adopt a Hydrant” program is designed to enlist the help of residents and business owners by asking them to make a pledge to adopt their local fire hydrant. The task is simple: whenever snow falls, the fire department asks that residents clear the hydrant so that firefighters have access to it.
To enroll, email the chief’s office at chief@mineolafd.com. The fire department requests that residents provide their name, address, phone number and/or email address and the location of the hydrant they want to adopt. Once the fire department receives the request, they will send out a confirmation adoption certificate.
