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Need community service hours?

Springwater has a unique way for students to earn community service hours, improve emergency access to fire hydrants, and keep fit this winter.
fire-hydrant-snow-12892270
Clear a hydrant in Springwater Township and earn community service hours.

Springwater has a unique way for students to earn community service hours, improve emergency access to fire hydrants, and keep fit this winter.

Student volunteers are needed to clear snow to and from a local fire hydrant in neighbourhoods across the townships. Once the task is complete, students should send a tweet to @springwatertwp with a photo of the fire hydrant along with the location and the hashtag #GoodNeighbour to receive .5 community service hours per hydrant.

In order to qualify, snow must be cleared from all sides of the hydrant and a path to the roadway must be created to facilitate fire crew access carrying hoses and other fire suppression tools.

Students can maintain the same fire hydrant through the winter when snow accumulation or plowing covers or restricts access to a fire hydrant after each snowfall event, and continually earn credits.

“Blocked hydrants mean a slower response to extinguishing fires which can result in catastrophic consequences if firefighters have to spend time locating a buried hydrant and clearing snow,” says Tony Van Dam, Director of Fire & Emergency Services.

“This is the third year that the Township is running this program and we applaud the students who are taking the time to ensure the safety of their neighbours by clearing fire hydrants.”

To earn community service hours, students should:

  • Completely clear snow around a fire hydrant in Springwater, and create a path to the road
  • Take a photo of the fire hydrant and path after it has been cleared
  • Send a tweet to @springwatertwp with a picture of the cleared hydrant, the location and add the hashtag #GoodNeighbour
  • Log the hours

Visit the Administration Centre at 2231 Nursery Road to have the Township of Springwater approve community service hours.

Each hydrant cleared is equal to .5 community service hours, and there is no limit to the number of hydrants a student can clear.

 


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Robin MacLennan

About the Author: Robin MacLennan

Robin MacLennan has been a reporter, photographer and editor for the daily media in Barrie, across Simcoe County and Toronto for many years. She is a proud member of the Barrie community.
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