Can You Find Your Hydrants After a Heavy Snowfall?

Winter is coming sooner than we think. In years past we've had areas where, after a heavy snowfall, the fire hydrants disappear due to ignorant civilians plowing out their driveways and covering them up. In addition to an awareness campaign trying to educate homeowners about the dangers of not keeping the hydrants near their homes unburied, my town has installed steel rods with little flags on top that attach to one of the caps on the hydrant. They easily flex out of the way when opening or closing the hydrant.

Several ajoining towns have done similar things to ensure their hydrants are able to be located after heavy snowfall. I was wondering what other F.D's are doing about this.

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Permalink Reply by Wade Seely on December 2, 2010 at 12:01pm

Engineco913

I wonder how many on here don't know what a divining rod is, let alone have seen one in action.

TCSS

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Permalink Reply by Keith Tyson on December 2, 2010 at 12:12pm

Probably only "old-timers" or country folk! Doubt many city slickers know! LOL

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Permalink Reply by Wade Seely on December 2, 2010 at 12:18pm

we had a family friend growing up that could do it. he even located the water for the well we put in our pasture using it.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on December 2, 2010 at 11:15pm

Yeah I hear that. Several years ago, they had every FF reporting for duty to bring in a snow shovel from home. Then each crew drove around their districts looking for buried hydrants and dug them out.

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Permalink Reply by capcityff on December 3, 2010 at 10:02am

We don't use anything special, but we can usually find them with no problem at all. Every wagon driver should have the knowledge to know where most hydrants are. Even in probation you have box alarms on your test where you're given an address. You have to give the running route from the fire house(the quickest one) and the two closest hydrants for maybe 80 or so box alarms. To promote to technician as a permanent spot it becomes A LOT more than that.

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Permalink Reply by Pararescue on December 10, 2010 at 4:02am

I live in the Buffalo, NY area. We get a lot of lake effect snow. This stuff just keeps coming. This last bout we had, plows left 18 - 24 inches form the curb and the snow was 2-3 feet deep. The markers in the District I live in are the kind on a spring. Some snap off, some catch the wet snow and fold down. So when it's time to dig them out we have a running book with the addresses where the hydrant is located. We make copies and give it to the New York State Dept of Corrections and have inmates dig them out. This only applies for moderate to large storms. Other wise we find and dig them out, or the home owner digs it out. Always have a back up plan.