Cortland Student, 11 Clears Fire Hydrants for Emergencies

Blayke Austen-Hines is a typical 11-year old boy who does typical eleven year old boy things. One thing that Blayke does that might not be quite so “typical” is that Blayke works hard to keep the fire hydrants in his area cleared of snow just in case of an emergency.

One of those emergencies happened recently on Maple Avenue in Cortland that brought thirty firefighters in to fight a fully engulfed fire that spread quickly and intensely. The Chief of the Cortland Fire Department stated that if firefighters had to take time to chip all of the heavy snow and ice off of the fire hydrant it would have added time to get to the fire. Delaying the process to get water on the fire leads to big problems and can mean lost lives and more damage to structures.

Thanks to Blayke, firefighters could access the fire hydrant without spending valuable time to clear the snow and ice. Blayke doesn’t keep the fire hydrants clear for money or thanks, he does it in the hope that he will help firefighters and he did. Maybe one day Blayke will become one of the firefighters he works so hard to help.

The Cortland Fire Department and other agencies have honored Blake for his hard work and selfless act, an honor he deserves.