Fire hydrants are one of
those things that just blend into the background of daily life. You
probably drive past hundreds of them every day without seeing a
single one. They are a simple fact of life in Brentwood; the grass is
green, the sky is blue and there’s a red fire hydrant on nearly
every corner. If you’ve ever really taken a look at the fire
hydrants, however, you’ll notice that they aren’t completely
red. In fact, some hydrants don’t have any red on them at all!
So why all the different
colors? Why not just good old fashioned red and be done with it? Each
color on a fire hydrant tells firefighters important information
about that hydrant. The color on the bonnet, or top of the hydrant,
lets firefighters know how much water that hydrant is capable of
providing them. There’s nothing to look up, no manual to consult
and no computer searching required. In the dark, during a snowstorm,
in the pouring rain or on a sunny day firefighters will be able take
immediate action based on the available water supply.
A fire hydrant with a red bonnet
signifies that it is known to flow up to 499 gallons per minute
(gpm). All fire hydrants are red when they are first installed, and
then Brentwood Fire and Rescue will test the flow of a new hydrant to
determine how much water it is capable of producing. Once this number
is known, the bonnet is painted the appropriate color. Brentwood is
very fortunate to have a strong water system distributed through a
carefully planned and well-designed infrastructure.
The color on the barrel,
or body, of the hydrant lets the firefighters know whether the
hydrant is part of the public water system or if it is a private
hydrant. Private hydrants are ones where the water used is billed to
the property owner the hydrant sits on, typically a church or
business. These hydrants are yellow. If the hydrant barrel is red
that means the water is city water, and the city is responsible for
any costs associated with flowing that water. During an emergency
firefighters will always utilize the nearest appropriate hydrant
regardless of ownership, but after the emergency is mitigated there
may be some sorting out of the billing required. After all, it
wouldn’t be fair to expect a business to pay for the water used to
fight a fire on someone else’s property. Ten gallons of water is
one thing, but at a large fire there may be millions of gallons used
to extinguish a well-entrenched blaze.
The orange bonnet on
this hydrant means that it is capable of producing anywhere from 500
gpm to 999 gpm. The yellow barrel of the hydrant signifies that it is
a private hydrant. Every year firefighters visit each hydrant to
inspect it. This inspection process includes operating the hydrant to
ensure that it functions properly and doesn’t leak. Additionally
firefighters will paint the hydrant to keep it looking nice.
Brentwood Fire and Rescue has recently contracted with a company to have several of the
city’s oldest hydrants sandblasted. After years of painting there
is a thick layer accumulated which prevents the hydrants from looking
their best. After a visit from the sandblasting crew this hydrant
will get a fresh coat of yellow and orange paint and look like new
again!
This hydrant was
recently sandblasted and treated to a fresh coat of paint. The green
bonnet tells firefighters that they can expect between 1,000 and
1,499 gpm if they connect to this hydrant. The gauges attached to
this hydrant are part of the hydrant testing process. Firefighters
will test the water pressure under various conditions before
utilizing a mathematical formula to determine the flow rate of the
hydrant.
A hydrant with a blue
bonnet is a firefighter’s best friend when they need water. This
hydrant is rated for the highest possible flow rate, which is in
excess of 1,500 gpm. As was mentioned earlier, Brentwood has a strong
water system, so flows greater than 2,000 gpm are not uncommon. In
true firefighter fashion, these hydrants are often referred to as
being ‘hot’. A hot hydrant is quite desirable on the fireground.
Here you can see Brentwood Fire and Rescue Engine 3 connected to the
hydrant by its front intake, ready to open the hydrant and receive
water. Blue topped hydrants are the most common in Brentwood. In
fact, they are so common that many neighborhoods don’t have any
other colored hydrants at all.
The next time you find
yourself stopped at a traffic light, take a quick look around. You’ll
probably see a fire hydrant nearby. You’ll also be able to impress
your neighbors by telling them how much water that hydrant down the
street is capable of producing. If you see your local fire engine out
checking hydrants, be sure to say hello!
