Access To Fire Hydrants Buried In Snow

[x635 4,066]

Who's responsibility is it to dig out hydrants in your community? I know many FD's take on the task. But, if the water department is responsible for maintaining the hydrants, are they also responsible for maintaining access to the hydrant. especially during snowstorms?

[SECTMB 612]

Before I was a firefighter, my father send us out with a shovel and we cleared the hydrant. I don't know who is 'responsible' but how hard is it to have whomever clears your snow away, clear your hydrant as well. You never know, you may be the one who needs the water.

[FFPCogs 863]

My FD does it and always has. Hydrant detail fulfills a couple of factors along with clearing the hydrant

1. We dig em out so we know they're dug out sufficiently

2. We check them to see if they're frozen while we clear them

3. Members learn hydrant locations (one day that MDT might not work)

We also carry a shovel on the rig to clear any that might have been missed, plowed in after we cleared it and mutual aid runs

[antiquefirelt 994]

Our personnel clear hydrants after every storm. I've nto heard of a water dept. up this way that does it, and if they did, we'd likely not like the spped in which it was done. During lengthy storms we hire OT to ensure full staffing and oftenhire an extra member to man our Utility truck. This members job is to go on all EMS runs to plow a driveway if needed, shovel walks and assist the crew. On fire calls they dig out the nearby hydrants.

Cogs: How do you guys test the hydrant to see if it's frozen?

[Bnechis 3,961]

Who's responsibility is it to dig out hydrants in your community? I know many FD's take on the task. But, if the water department is responsible for maintaining the hydrants, are they also responsible for maintaining access to the hydrant. especially during snowstorms?

ROFLMAO. The water company maintaining the hydrants...........

They do not do the basic maintenance that the maintenance standards require and you think they will clear them.

[FFPCogs 863]

Our personnel clear hydrants after every storm. I've nto heard of a water dept. up this way that does it, and if they did, we'd likely not like the spped in which it was done. During lengthy storms we hire OT to ensure full staffing and oftenhire an extra member to man our Utility truck. This members job is to go on all EMS runs to plow a driveway if needed, shovel walks and assist the crew. On fire calls they dig out the nearby hydrants.

Cogs: How do you guys test the hydrant to see if it's frozen?

Visual inspection using a light and telescopic mirror for our few plugged hydrants. For the majority which are not plugged we crack it open and ensure there's a flow.

[antiquefirelt 994]

Visual inspection using a light and telescopic mirror for our few plugged hydrants. For the majority which are not plugged we crack it open and ensure there's a flow.

OK. Up this way the water co. pumps out the hydrants in the fall and after any use, so they'd be pissed if we opened while out shovelling. Not too mention it would almost assure us they'd freeze with any water in the barrel this time of year. Sadly frozen hydrantsaren't uncommon. Town I live in had a fire in my neighborhood earlierthis week and found a frozen hydrant when attempting to set up a tanker fill site. Luckily there were two more in near proximety on the same shuttle route.

Edited February 14, 2014 by antiquefirelt

[x635 4,066]

FDNY has hydrant dethawing units, which use steam to de-thaw hydrants. How does this work, exactly, and would there ever be a need to unthaw a hydrant usually?

[RES24CUE 168]

The fire department with which I was previously affiliated used these hydrant flags to mark the hydrants. This way if there was a fire before we had a chance to dig them out, then our members (sadly I would say most of our own members did not know the exact positioning of all of our hydrants and we only had 18 hydrants in our small hydranted district) or our mutual aid departments could find the hydrant in the rare case that they were completely buried. Just a tool that can help, not an excuse for not clearing your hydrants. These were pretty easy to install (remove 1 bolt and attach around the top rim). However, I don't know how practical they would be in a district with hundreds of fire hydrants. As I said we only had 18 hydrants and it took a few guys working at a leisurely pace a few hours on a lazy, sunny fall Saturday to get them all installed. This could take weeks and cost thousands in a place like Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains, etc..

[Bnechis 3,961]

FDNY has hydrant dethawing units, which use steam to de-thaw hydrants. How does this work, exactly, and would there ever be a need to unthaw a hydrant usually?

Steam is 212 degrees + Ice 32 degrees = Water (de-thawed)

When the hoses are frozen solid on the hydrant and you want to remove them after the fire, they need thawing.

Also works well removing them from the ground and spray covered ladders/towers that can not be bedded, etc.

Great tool.

[suffernH&Lbuff 117]

I just cleared mine out, and asked the chief if it was good.

[Morningjoe 162]

Responsibility depends on the jurisdiction. Some places the responsibility to keep it clear rests solely on the property owner.

Right now, where I volunteer, any structural related incident in the hydrant portion of our district will be a "tanker response," and any 10-75 will be our normal complement of an additional mutual aid engine for water supply and 3 tankers. 90% of our 1000+ hydrants remain completely covered in snow, and the residents come up with every excuse in the book on why they shouldn't dig them out. The town, and our volunteers do not have the time or man power to accomplish this massive task, in addition to it being town law for the property owner to clear the hydrant.

[Ga-Lin 86]

I'm not sure what the law is in my town but being an emergency responder, EMS not a FF, I know the importance of clearing the hydrant. Carrying shovels on the truck if fine but I know that time wasted may mean the difference in saving a home vs the foundation. After clearing a path out to my road that's the first thing I clear, then I go back and dig the cars out. Oh yeah, I guess I do have some added motivation....the hydrant is right in front of MY house!

[paulie3jobs 4]

In the township that I work in, if a hydrant is contiguous to your property, it is your responsibility to clear it. This is outlined in a township ordinance. That being said, my guys go out and shovel hydrants, they are not happy about it (our town has 700+), but I remind them it could be them waiting for water once the tank has been expended.

We use to have devices similar to what RES24CUE has pictured. The local miscreants kept destroying them, so the vast majority of them were removed. The few that are still in place are in districts that are indifferent to them, so they're fine.

[FFPCogs 863]

The fire department with which I was previously affiliated used these hydrant flags to mark the hydrants. This way if there was a fire before we had a chance to dig them out, then our members (sadly I would say most of our own members did not know the exact positioning of all of our hydrants and we only had 18 hydrants in our small hydranted district) or our mutual aid departments could find the hydrant in the rare case that they were completely buried. Just a tool that can help, not an excuse for not clearing your hydrants. These were pretty easy to install (remove 1 bolt and attach around the top rim). However, I don't know how practical they would be in a district with hundreds of fire hydrants. As I said we only had 18 hydrants and it took a few guys working at a leisurely pace a few hours on a lazy, sunny fall Saturday to get them all installed. This could take weeks and cost thousands in a place like Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains, etc..

These devices are good, but prone to damage from vandalism and lack of maintenance. I've seen more than a few damaged by heavy snow thrown by plows. Years ago we used to use a system where we painted a reflective yellow ring about 6" wide on the telephone poles on either side of the hydrant at eye level when driving the rigs (roughly 6-7 ft from the ground). As you turned into a street and approached the incident you would look at the telephone poles. If the hydrant was on the same side of the street as the poles a line was painted on each pole facing downward from the ring, if it was on the opposite side the line faced upwards and if the hydrant lie in between poles that crossed the street the line was placed on each pole in the appropriate direction of the approach. Many of the markings are still visible and we are planning to redo them once spring arrives.

The benefit of this simple system is that snow, even plowed snow piles, bushes, trees and parked cars rarely if ever obscure the markings and maintenance is nothing more than a few hours and the cost of a gallon of paint to touch up the markings every few of years.

Below is a rough (really rough) drawing to illustrate:

Edited February 16, 2014 by FFPCogs

[x635 4,066]

From Bedford Hills FD Facebook page:

Thank You to William Nickson and the Town Of Bedford Water Department for cleaning around the fire hydrants that haven't already been taken care of. "A clean hydrant is a happy hydrant"!!

[wedgeclose 59]

Just came back from a drive around Ossining. I can't believe the number of hydrants that are buried in snow. I think that property owners who don't clear them within 48 hours after a snow should be fined! This is serious stuff! Many of our illegal housing houses are nearby and we are only a spark away from a calamity.

[38ff 250]

Most people don't care, until.