What Is A Dry Fire Hydrant?
A dry hydrant is a non-pressurized pipe installed at a pond or lake that
is in close proximity to an all weather road. Dry hydrants provide
firefighters with a way to replenish their water supplies. A
fire crew can refill its tanker truck from a dry hydrant which is located
near the fire area. Dry hydrants are critical for battling fires
in pastures and structures throughout our coverage area.
Why Are Dry Fire Hydrants Needed?
Miller Grove Fire Department area of coverage lacks sufficiently large
bore water mains and pressurized fire hydrants. Lack of a fast high
pressure source of water impairs our fire department's ability to do its
job quickly and efficiently. The success of rural fire department
operations
depends, in part, on how far a truck must travel to fill the water tank
then return to the fire. Prior to installation of dry hydrants, Miller
Grove Fire Department's refill points were sometimes a long distance from
the fire we were fighting. When the water source is far removed from
the fire we are are unable to maintain an uninterrupted flow of water at
the scene. Additionally, the water may be slow flowing due to the
diameter of the water pipe. Dry fire hydrants provide a ready supply
of water that can be pumped through a large diameter pipe and are closer
to the fire than our earlier water sources.
Where Are Dry Fire Hydrants Needed?
Dry hydrants are beneficial in areas that lack conventional fire protection
and conventional hydrants, areas where existing community water
pipes cannot handle the large volume of water necessary to fight fires,
and in areas where peak water use seasons can cause low water pressure
throughout the system. The dry fire hydrant does not use electricity,
so it is capable of supplying water in the case of natural disasters such
as hurricanes and tornadoes or any other time when electricity is unavailable.
Dry Fire Hydrants:
- Use a non-pressurized pipe system
- Use relatively inexpensive piping materials and other supplies
- Are permanently installed in existing lakes, pools, tanks, and
ponds
- Provide a means of access whenever needed, regardless of weather
conditions
- Allow years of simple operation with a minimum of maintenance
Dry Hydrants Conserve Energy By:
- Reducing losses from fires
- Reducing the miles fire trucks must travel to shuttle water to
fires
- Using water sources other than processed domestic potable water
supplies
- Reduce demand for energy needed to process and transport domestic
potable water
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