CARMEL As Central Indiana prepares for another round of snowfall, fire officials are urging you to make sure your fire hydrants are clear of any snow. Those seconds can matter if its your house thats on fire, Tim Griffin with the Carmel Fire Department told WRTV. If they arent clear, it could impact emergency response times for firefighters. In the event of an emergency, firefighters say they must first locate and dig out buried hydrants before they can connect hoses.WATCH | Expert tips on how to protect homes from frozen pipes this winter Expert tips on how to protect homes from frozen pipes this winterYou want to have some space cleared out around that hydrant so when the firefighters come up, they are able to hook into wherever they need, have plenty of spaces for those hoses and plenty of room to work, Griffin said.Fire officials say this process can cause critical delays, especially at a time when seconds matter. If you look at how fast the fires accumulate and how quick they spread through the house, the quicker we can get that water on, the better its going to be, Griffin said. Firefighters recommend a three-foot radius clear of snow around each hydrant.