We show up and start shoveling. Public Works bury them with the snow plows and the public just don't think about it even if asked by the news media to do it.
You would think the water dept would send crews out to do it but not likey.
We have hydrants marked in our mapbooks as to what address or location it would be so we get there we have to see if its visable or has snow piled on top of it.
I know some places would have a sign or some marker device to mark the hydrant but our county can't afford it.
We put a PSA and ask residents to look after the hydrants closest to them to keep them clear. I will clear out the one nearest me, even though it is on my neighbor's property.
We keep shovels on the pumps and will clear out a hydrant on a call, but it does waste time, and that is what we tell the public. We will go out and clear some hydrants if people call in because they are unable to.
I personally, liked on GMA after the snowstorm in NYC. They had a reporter on the sidewalk who was showing the "proper" way to shovel snow. He is digging in a snowbank two feet from a buried hydrant. Kind of like HELLLOO, why not clear out the hydrant???
We put out a public awareness announcement asking residents to clear a hydrant that is in their yard. We go out and clear hydrants near high risk and high occupancy buildings. At times we have had to use a skid loader borrowed from public works. 2 or 3 weekends a winter, as the snow dictates, the local boy scout troops dig out hydrants under a firefighters supervision for their community service projects.