Fire Safety Prevention - Fire Hydrants

"Where's the Fire Hydrant?"

Sometimes, emergency responders ask themselves this when they are approaching the house or building that is engulfed in flames when they know a fire hydrant is somewhere in the vicinity. The time it takes locating, clearing a path to, and hooking up the hydrant could be the difference between life and death.

This is why is it important to keep the fire hydrants visible and accessible for emergency responders. Having hydrants hidden slows our ability to secure a water supply for fire suppression activities. Our fire trucks only carry 500-750 gallons of water which will allow for anywhere from 3-5 minutes of actual fire fighting time. We get the additional water that is needed to fight the fire from the city water supply through the fire hydrants.

As a general rule, no equipment, facilities, or landscaping should be within 3 ft. (1m) of the hydrant body nor be placed in front of any hydrant outlet, nor be placed between the hydrant and the roadway. Those persons who are planning to place landscaping near fire hydrants should be apprised of these conditions as mailboxes, walls, plants and other landscape materials must be kept outside the hydrant's clearance space. Moreover, if you have existing landscaping around fire hydrants, we ask that you trim the plants and bushes back away from the fire hydrant. In some cases, it maybe required, if asked by a LMFR representative, to transplant part of the landscape in order to be in compliance with the 3-foot clearance. 

In the winter, when the snow sometimes buries our fire hydrants, we ask that folks clear the snow away from around their local fire hydrant. Five minutes of time and effort can help ensure we have water available when we need it. The five minutes it would take us to dig out the hydrant, in the event of a structure fire, could make the difference in saving or losing your home.

Southwest Ohio Fire Safety Council Unified Fire Code section that deals with fire hydrant obstructions:

F-5.16.5.8- Obstructing prohibited: No person shall obscure from view, obstruct, block, or restrict the use of, or access to any fire hydrant. Such obstruction, blockage, or restriction shall be considered a violation of this standard.

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Madison Place Fire Station 66 * 6904 Murray Avenue * Cincinnati, OH 45227 * 513-271-3636

Newtown Fire Station 76 * 3537 Church Street * Newtown, OH 45244 * 513-271-6770