Editor’s note: Chief Adam K. Thiel knows first hand how unreliable hydrant water supply can be and urges us all to inspect and test those in our jurisdictions.
While I started my fire and emergency services journey in a jurisdiction where fire hydrants were the norm, I only learned to really appreciate them after I moved to an area where rural water supply was the order of the day.
I remember my initial tour of a neighborhood in the latter community where fire hydrants appeared on every street corner and roughly 500 feet apart elsewhere, just as I was accustomed to seeing. Appearances were deceiving in this case, however, because these decorative hydrants were only connected to a well-served irrigation system that could barely provide adequate flow for a garden hose. I’m glad someone told me before I tried hooking up to one!
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a story about a fire department’s issues with a fire hydrant, or multiple hydrants. Communities that rely, in whole or part, on a municipal water system depend heavily on their local water utility to provide adequate volume and pressure from nearby hydrants when the first fire engine arrives and goes to work.
This is why the Insurance Services Office, when it evaluates communities’ overall fire protection, assesses water supply characteristics in addition to the fire department and other factors.
So what can you do about it?
First and foremost, know your area. Which areas have hydrants, where (exactly) are they located, and what do they flow? Where are they located in relation to other hydrants and the water mains?
I know many departments have computers and map books to help with this task, but I’m just old (school) enough that I believe it’s still important to get out and regularly drive around, day and night, to visualize the hydrants and make sure you can still find them on “the big one.”
It’s also important to know who your local water utility is, and how to contact them. Do they regularly test and maintain the hydrants? If not, who does and how often? Do they actually measure the flow, or use computer models to project system performance?
Finally, I think it’s important to get out and occasionally test the hydrants (make sure they’re not decorative first) in your area. Do they actually flow water at the advertised volume, with adequate pressure?
If you find a problem, report it immediately and make provisions for a secondary water supply — just in case.
Stay safe!
