KSU greek life shovels snow to help Kent fire department from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

Members of Phi Kappa Tau and Alpha Phi Omega fraternities grabbed shovels and teamed up with Kent City firefighters to shovel snow and ice away from fire hydrants on Friday.

The fraternities helped the Fire Department create easy access to fire hydrants for firefighters on duty.  The community effort was initiated by WKYC/Channel 3 managing editor Jon Adkins, who also helped out.

“Channel 3, our slogan is ‘See the impossible’ so we’re always looking for opportunities to get involved with the communities,” said Adkins.

This good act follows a recent tragic event.  A fatal fire occurred in North Olmsted, where firefighters weren’t able to get to a fire hydrant due to the surrounding snow and ice.

Kent City firefighters don’t want the same to happen closer to home.  The fire department encourages residents to shovel snow away from fire hydrants in their neighborhood.

“We all play a roll in fire prevention,” said Fire Prevention Officer Jamie Semels.  “Sometimes saving a life is as simple as… a home owner going out to the fire hydrant that’s next to you or in your front lawn and clearing it out.”

David Halula, a Kent State junior and member of Phi Kappa Tau, enjoyed helping the community.

“When you have elderly people living in the houses, it’s hard for them to clear their own fire hydrants, so when we can do it with no problem it’s nice to get out here and help,” said Halula.

WKYC has launched the #ShovelChallenge campaign to get other communities involved.  Adkins hopes this will become a viral campaign and encourage more people to help out their local fire departments.

Contact Alex Valverde at [email protected].