HUMBOLDT — The City of Humboldt’s protective services department has created a contest, encouraging residents to clean off any city fire hydrant with a draw for a $100 gift basket with products from local businesses.
Mike Kwasnica, Humboldt’s fire chief and director of public services, said accessing hydrants has always been a problem in winters with heavy snowfall.
“The public works department does a really good job at maintaining those hydrants and keeping them clear but they’ve been overtasked with trying to keep the streets clear so we’re trying to help them out by basically giving them a hand,” Kwasnica said.
“If they’re buried in snow and they’re near your house that could be very bad for you if you live in that area because now we don’t have a hydrant near your house and we have to find the nearest one to identify.”
To enter the contest, the individual must shovel three feet (one meter) around a fire hydrant that is surrounded with snow within city limits, taking a picture before and after the work is completed.
The submission may be made by messaging the Humboldt Protective Services Facebook page with the address of where the hydrant was located, the pictures, the name of the individual, and a phone number to contact them.
Individuals may submit multiple entries.
The draw will be made live from the Humboldt Protective Services Facebook page on Jan. 18 at 2:00 p.m.
“Through the last couple winters we haven’t had the snow that we’ve had this year,” Kwasnica said. “Hydrants may not intentionally get buried, but a grater goes by and pushes snow on top of it and once it’s buried, it’s forgotten about.”
