As the area digs out from record snowfall, please keep these very important tips in mind:

1) If your neighborhood has fire hydrants, please help use by clearing snow from all around hydrants -- best case, a three foot diameter circle. Did the snow plow bury the hydrant? If we can get to it in an emergency, we can't get to water quickly. Please help us by digging it out.

2) Is your house number obscured by snow? If we can't find your house, emergency response is delayed. House numbers buried in the snow need to be visible -- on mailboxes, signs by the street and on the house as well.

3) Are snow drifts blocking vents for appliances? For basement vent systems, dryers, fireplaces, etc... Look around your home -- dig out and clear any appliance vents for safety.

4) With roads narrow and filled with snow, give responding emergency apparatus lots of room when they approach, especially in bad weather. Pull over and stop when fire trucks and ambulances approach.

LASTLY: Do not call fire, EMS and police emergency numbers to complain about delayed road plowing. Concerns about snow clearing are not considered 911-related emergencies. Do not use so-called non-emergency numbers for fire, police and ambulance for snow plowing either. This has been a huge storm, and snow removal will take time -- so please be patient, and reserve these numbers for fire, police and EMS issue