Students Encouraged to Shovel Out Hydrants for Service Hours

Fire hydrants in Tinley Park are buried beneath the snow, and students are invited to grab a shovel and help out—in return for service hours. The Village of Tinley Park asks students that need community service hours to find hydrants on their block and clear them of snow in exchange for two hours of credit per hydrant for each snow event.

“I encourage all Tinley Park students to participate in this opportunity, even those who don’t necessarily need the community service hours,” Mayor Edward J. Zabrocki said. “It really is a great way for everybody to pitch in.”

Interested students can email EMA Director Pat Carr at pcarr@tinleypark.orgwith the fire hydrant location, date of clearance, school the student attends, and a picture of the fully cleared hydrant. In return, Carr will email a signed certificate of community service to the student and school contact.

“It’s extremely important that all of our fire hydrants are clear so that firefighters can clearly see them in the event they are called to suppress a fire,” said Trustee Tom Staunton, who also is Chairman of the Village’s Public Works Committee. “The students receive service hours, and the firefighters get clean, accessible hydrants. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”