When
responding to a report of a building on fire, one of the first things that
firefighters think about is “where is the closest fire hydrant?”
If it is not clearly visible when they arrive, the time it takes
locating, clearing a path to, and hooking up to the hydrant could be the
difference between life and death.
This
is why is it important to keep fire hydrants visible and accessible for the fire
department. Fire engines typically
carry only 500-750 gallons of water. That
could easily be used up in a few minutes of firefighting.
We must get additional water through the fire hydrants before those few
minutes are used up.
As
a general rule, no equipment or landscaping should block the view of the
hydrant, nor be placed in front of any hydrant outlet (where our hoses connect).
Also, there should not be anything placed between the hydrant and the
roadway. If you have existing
landscaping around fire hydrants, we ask that you trim back any plants and
bushes from the fire hydrant.
In
the winter the problem get worse when snow buries the fire hydrants. Anyone with
a fire hydrant on his or her property should not plow or blow snow on it.
Additionally we would ask that you knock down high snow mounds, and clear
a path to the hydrant from the street.
If
you notice caps missing from the outlets, water leaking from the hydrants, or
any other problems with the fire hydrants, contact your water department
immediately.
Five minutes of time and effort now can help ensure we have water available when you or your neighbor may need it. Help us to help you.
Remember,
if you can’t see the fire hydrant, neither can we!
