OSBURN – In addition to shoveling your driveway and sidewalk, Shoshone County Fire District No. 1 is encouraging residents to clear the space around their fire hydrants with a new contest.

Announced initially on their Facebook page last Friday, SCFD No. 1’s shoveling contest is open to residents of Osburn, Silverton, and Wallace.

“We’re trying to get the awareness up to help us shovel hydrants with the amount of snow we’ve had recently,” SCFD No. 1 Lt. Victor Malsom said. “While raising awareness, we also wanted to make it fun too because nobody wants to go out and shovel their own driveway, much less a hydrant for the heck of it.”

To enter into the contest, folks who shovel out a hydrant need to send SCFD No. 1 an action shot of them shoveling and a completed picture, along with the location of the hydrant. When that is submitted to SCFD No.1 via Facebook messenger, the shoveler’s name is put into a drawing with other submissions from their city.

At the end of January, February, March, a name from each of the participating cities will be drawn to win a $25 gift card to any business between Osburn and Wallace.

“That way we can give back to a community who supports us so much,” Lt. Malsom said.

Residents can get an extra ‘name’ into the monthly drawings by sharing their pictures on Instagram and tagging @silver_valley_fire_rescue.

For the submissions to count, participants must ensure that they shovel down to the base of their hydrant and then three feet around it in all directions.

Malsom explains that having these hydrants clear of snow could be the difference between saving a life or a home.

“When the crews go on calls, every second counts,” he said. “We don’t want to get called out to a fire, then spend five minutes shoveling a hydrant in order to get water on that fire.”

As of Jan. 21, SCFD No. 1 has not received any submissions from Silverton.

For more information, contact SCFD No. 1 at 208-752-1101.