ADAMS, Mass. — Hoosac Valley High School athletes volunteered their time to shovel out fire hydrants throughout the community last weekend.

 

They took to the streets, shovels in hand, to dig out hydrants to ensure firefighters could get to them.

 

"With the large amount of snowfall that we had there was a tremendous amount of hydrants in town that were just not acceptable," Fire Chief Paul Goyette said. "I asked the athletic director to contact the coaches to see if we could get a few kids to help out the community." 

 

Goyette said the group mostly shoveled outside streets that often do not get attention.

 

"We are targeting certain areas where you have people that are elderly and they can't clean them out and a lot of people just don’t understand the importance of it," he said. "Not only for themselves but for their neighbors."

 

Goyette said if a hydrant is not shoveled out it could slow down the department’s response to a fire.

 

"It could potentially affect the outcome of a fire," he said. "If we had to shovel it out it could take some precious minutes and guys aren’t getting off the truck with shovels they are going to do it with bare hands."

 

Hoosac Valley basketball coach Mike Larabee said Hoosac Valley athletes are always ready to give back to their community. 

 

"It’s important for them to be out in the community; That’s what it’s all about as a small community," he said.