Summit County asks residents to adopt a fire hydrant by keeping them clear for fire rescue crews

Colorado was in some deep need of snow, but now parts of Colorado are in deep, with snow. 

That's great news for most things, but there's always a dark lining to those silver clouds. The more snow piles up in mountain towns, the harder it is for firefighters to dig out the fire hydrants they use in emergencies. 

"All of our apparatus carry water on 'em but it may not be enough," Lt. Steven Wantuck with Summit Fire and EMS told CBS News Colorado. "So we need that continuous water supply to put out a fire."

Wantuck estimates there are hundreds, if not thousands of hydrants they have access to use (so long as they are cleared from snow drifts.) With huge numbers like that, it's impossible for them to get to all of their different hydrants each time it snows. 

"We are encouraging all the neighbors who have hydrants out in their front yard to take an attempt to dig it out, we are looking for three feet around the hydrant down to ground level, if we can at least keep that clear we can at least see it and hook up to it," Wantuck said. 

They do have a plan in place in the event they show up to a fire and the hydrant is not dug out, which Wantuck said has happened a few times. 

"If  it looks like the one we are going to grab is just burried, we will pull two people off the engine, I will go out and help as well, we have to get that hydrant open in order to get that water supply."

If you're willing to help keep a neighborhood hydrant clear, let Summit Fire and EMS know that you've adopted the hydrant, if you send a picture of it cleared they will issue you a free T-shirt as a thank you.