A proactive 9-year-old in Fort Dodge, Iowa, is being recognized after a simple act of teamwork helped local firefighters respond faster during an emergency.
After recent heavy snowfall, local crews had been working to clear roads and sidewalks, according to KCCI. The deep snow also inspired the Fort Dodge Fire Department (FDFD) to launch a contest on Facebook encouraging families to dig out fire hydrants. Anyone who shared a photo of their cleared hydrant could be entered to win a “ride to school for two kiddos” in a fire truck. As the department noted in the post, hydrants needed to be cleared “three feet on each side.”
That’s where Colton Holmes stepped in. Colton dug out a hydrant in his neighborhood, saying he wanted to do something meaningful.
“I wanted to help people out and be a hero,” Colton told KKCI.
The next day, firefighters reportedly relied on the exact hydrant Colton cleared while battling a structure fire — saving valuable time and potentially helping protect lives, per KCCI.
“Given the situation, the heavy snowfall recently, time was of the essence,” Fort Dodge Lt. Devon Schuster told the outlet. “Fire actually doubles in size every minute, so the fact that we didn’t have to dig out a fire hydrant saved us an immense amount of time.”
For his effort, Colton received a special patch and a “challenge coin” as a reminder to keep leading by example. He also earned the prize ride to school in a fire truck, according to KCCI and Fox 10.
FDFD said there were no reported injuries from the incident, though several people and pets were displaced by the fire, per Fox 10.
