Question on what we can legally do.

Hey I'm from a smaller fire dept in upstate NY we deal with more drafting and tankers then actually using hydrants up here we do have them in the town but that is realitivly small compared to the rest of our responce area. Now my question is if your dealing with a structure fire (room of contents, full involved ect.) and there is a car parked in front of the hydrant are we legally allowed to break through the windows and put a line through to get to the hydrant or not ?(yeah like in backdraft), just decideing to feed my curoisity

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Permalink Reply by Mark Montgomery on November 21, 2008 at 6:36pm

This is interesting. Here in New Zealand we could bounce the car, we could go through a window, if necessary, but the law specifically states that any damaged caused by the truck is not covered (protected) actions.

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on November 21, 2008 at 7:05pm

Mark, does your last part mean that if you damage a civilian vehicle that you aren't covered or that they aren't covered? Not that I've ever seen this problem, but I think we'd do as you first suggested - we'd bounce the car out of the way. And tell the police about it when they arrived so that they could book the driver. If we couldn't move the car, or have the hoses laid around it, then I'd go over it.

Rigid suction hose attached to a hydrant as seemed to be suggested earlier? What a novel idea! But then, we don't have those 'steamer' ports either.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Montgomery on November 21, 2008 at 7:21pm

Hey Tony

In the law I primarily work under when involved in firefighting there are provisions that protect fire officers and firefighters from proceedings being brought against them for actions or inactions in any fire or other emergency situation, except "Provided that nothing in this subsection shall relieve any of them against or in any way affect the liability of any of them for any damage to property caused by or in connection with the use of any fire engine or other motor vehicle for transport purposes".

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Permalink Reply by jerry baldwin on November 21, 2008 at 7:38pm

hey scott! in reply to your hypothetical situation: i say if there is no other way to hook up to that hydrant, do it. if there is some other solution, go with that. in reading some other replies i read a lot of good points. "black eyes" are slow to heal and of course ther is always the chance of the lawsuit thing.
it is on the subject of lawsuits that i invite you and any other readers to check out my discussion on the soverign immunity issues now going before my ststes supreme court. i won't go into detail here, but in summary: a volunteer department lost a structure (business) and now they are being sued. please check out that discussion and if you feel motivated to do so, please leave a comment there. stay safe every one.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Harris on November 21, 2008 at 8:06pm

I guess if the individual is ignorant enough to park in front of a hydrant you do what you have to do to get water, the individual is going to get the ticket for blocking it... if anything push it with your truck.
Town of Greenport, Hudson
Chris H

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on November 21, 2008 at 8:13pm

So if you hit someone, you have to stand up and defend yourself. Stick with bouncing the car out of the road I'd say! I've never gone that deeply into our Act, I should really...