Safety tips ahead of major winter snow storm in Pittsburgh area

As a major winter storm approaches the Pittsburgh area this weekend, first responders are reminding people to keep their neighborhood fire hydrants and furnace vents clear of snow. 

Derry Township Fire Chief Mark Piantine said most people's furnaces will be working overtime over the next couple of days, and it is important that outdoor vents aren't blocked.

"With today's new high efficiency furnaces, mostly your gas furnaces, most of your oil furnaces and pellet stoves and stuff like that, they come out of your walls higher," Piantine said. "But your high-efficiency gas furnaces, they come out right at your window wells. You should keep that shoveled also, because, if not, that will be blocked, and it won't be able to get rid of the carbon monoxide, and you are going to fill your house up with carbon monoxide."

Aside from protecting your home, the chief said people should help protect their neighborhood by digging out the fire hydrant on their block. Though frozen water lines can occur in older hydrants during cold snaps, most hydrants remain operable, and having a path and a 3-foot ring dug out around them can be a big help for first responders.

"Please don't put snow against them," Piantine said. "Shovel around them because if something happens, it makes our job easier getting to them."

Chief Piantine also said that most of the fire hydrants in Derry Township have a 3-foot flag attached to them, and it's a good visual indicator for firefighters to know where those hydrants are. But he also said the flags are a good visual indicator for the neighborhood to know not to pile snow there.