Mar 9, 2021 A little boy in Cortland, New York, is being called a hero for a simple task he did that helped firefighters on the job. Blayke Austen-Hinessays he’s been shoveling fire hydrants out of the snow and ice since he could first pick up a shovel and his efforts paid off during a recent fire. A team of 30 firefighters was battling a blaze that became intense very quickly because of high winds, according to Cortland Fire Department Chief Wayne Friedman. And when they needed access to that hydrant, 11-year-old Blayke had already cleared it and had it ready for them.