As we brace for more arctic air, heating systems in our homes and businesses will be going full force this weekend. The National Fire Prevention Association says that the winter months see a spike in home fires because of heating systems working and the air being drier. From South Philadelph ia to Lower Merion, you can find fire hydrants that are covered in snow. Lower Merion Fire Chief James McCoy explained that response times are slower as icy roads and below-freezing temperatures prove to be a challenge for crews. Chief McCoy said that it took several minutes for firefighters to get to a hydrant in order to run lines in a recent fire emergency. How to help firefighters before an emergency If you see a fire hydrant where you live that is still buried in a pile of snow, officials are asking that you take a few minutes to clear the snow away from it. Fire officials explained that you don’t have to dig out the whole snow pile around a hydrant but just enough to let firefighters get hoses hooked up so they can get water on that potential fire. But who is responsible for cleaning snow off of a fire hydrant? NBC10 looked around to our local municipalities and found that it depends on where you live. Norristown said that township crews did clean the hydrants after the last storm but asked that if a resident sees one covered, it’s best to clean it if you can. We also reached out to the city of Philadelphia and we are waiting to hear back. ...read more read less