Thanks to a steady stream of winter storms that have plagued
the northeast, near record-setting amounts of snow have accumulated and
neighborhoods are piled high with plowed and shoveled snow. The labyrinth of catacombs built from this
frosty mess makes driving in the urban and suburban areas quite a
challenge. Streets are narrowed, vision
is impeded, and the road surfaces are often sketchy at best. As a fire safety professional, one of my
obvious concerns during this time period is the accessibility of the fire
hydrants in the event of an emergency.
Locating these vital water resources, even during warmer
seasons, can be a problem. There is
seldom an understandable pattern for their location to anyone except the most
experienced water system grid study bugs.
Left side, right side, middle of the block… it is anybody’s guess. Parked vehicles, shrubbery, weeds, and even
those mailboxes that look like single-seat outhouses can obstruct line-of-sight
vision of responders. Keep in mind,
also, that the forward-riding firefighters with the windshield view of the
world have a host of other things on their mind as they approach a fire
scene. The apparatus operator is looking
for traffic, pedestrians, overhead obstructions, and the “perfect” vehicle
placement, which has to be decided in seconds.
The officer in the “thinking seat” of the apparatus is sizing up the
structure and planning a course of action based on the manpower (quality as well
as quantity) sitting behind him. Playing
hide-and-go-seek with the closest hydrant is not something either one has time
for when every second is precious.
To make locating them easier, fire departments use a multitude of
methods. First and foremost is
standardization of color. While it may
seem cute for hydrants to be decorated like people, or dogs, or blended into
the décor of a property, this camouflage effect is not helpful. A standard barrel color makes for a
consistent target to spot. Colorful,
reflective markings can help, especially at night, and many municipalities have
a standard for this type of identification as well. I have seen stenciled street markings,
recessed road reflectors (one of my favorites), sign posts, and even the
stripped “antennae” markers prove to be effective as well. Let’s not discount a good map book, whether
paper or electronic, with an accurate spotting of the hydrants in a
jurisdiction. Of course, all of these
aids are secondary to knowledgeable personnel who take the time to become
familiar with their run areas.
Then there is the Mother Nature Factor; or her partner in
crime, Old Man Winter. As the frozen
precipitation accumulates, it needs to be “relocated” so life goes on,
uninterrupted. Streets need to be
plowed, sidewalks and driveways need to be cleared, and parking lots need to be
scraped clean to allow safe travel. What
one vital device sit right smack in the middle of it all? The FIRE HYDRANT! While I understand that the likelihood of
needing the fire hydrant near your house is extremely slim, the consequence of
NOT having it available could be catastrophic!
Yet, people continue to gamble by taking the risk.
Yesterday, I was taking my truck for “a walk” around the
neighborhood, taking in the sights of the latest winter snowpocalypse. While I would like to say I was amazed at
what I saw, that stopped happening years ago.
Not only did I find hydrants that had not been shoveled out, I actually
found one that had been completely buried by blown snow! I
would guess this house had a value of about $275,000, and estimated contents of
another $150,000. Adding in the $80,000 of vehicles in the driveway (which, by
the way, was clear and dry) and we have eclipsed a half million dollars of
combustible property gambling that the 500 gallons of water in the first
arriving engine will be enough to save everything. The hand-laid herringbone walkway was whistle
clean, as was the sidewalk that traversed the front of the property. I even noticed that extra effort was made to
clear the snow from in front of the satellite dish on the rooftop. The clear path to the front of the brick
mailbox was a nice touch as well; they wouldn’t want their mail carrier to be
delayed in putting the latest issue of Fortune magazine in there, right? They apparently felt that clearing the numbers
from the side of the mailbox wasn’t necessary either, since they weren’t
ordering a pizza for delivery any time soon.
Hell, there was even a spot in the grass cleared so your pampered puppy
could poop without getting her precious posterior in the snow. But what did my trained eye spot? About 10 inches of the tippy-top of the
fiberglass marking post that I can only assume is bolted to the hydrant about
four feet under the man-made mountain of snow deposited conveniently on top of
it.
I don’t want to pick on just these cement-heads, there are
many more like them. I can’t believe the
lack of concern by not only people, but entire neighborhoods. I even passed a hydrant that was used less
than a year ago at a rather significant house fire on the block. You would think at least ONE of the folks
that live on that block would be concerned enough to spend the five minutes it
would take to shovel the hydrant clear.
Well, I would think that, other firefighters would think that, but would
YOU think that?
In an emergency, responders do not have the time, or extra manpower it takes to find and uncover your fire hydrant. Please take the time to walk your shovel to the fire hydrant closest to your home. Use it to clear a circle around the hydrant so firefighters can operate it without delay. Clear ALL THREE OUTLETS as well. Try to picture how much room a charged hose line will need. Three feet on all asides would be ideal. If the snow mountains around it are high, try to knock them back so the hydrant is VISIBLE from the cab of an approaching fire engine. Finally, be sure it is accessible from the sidewalk side as well as the street side, that way both dogs AND firefighters will be happy! Then go get a big mug of hot chocolate or coffee, and curse that damn groundhog for these extra six weeks of winter.
