Clear the Way: Hydrant Markers Are Here [VIDEO]

Last January, after a few storms on the ground, arrived at the scene of a and could not find a hydrant. Captain Robert Paradis recounted the day explaining that it took nearly 10 minutes from the time crews arrived for the hydrant to be located in the mounds of snow. After locating the hydrant, it took additional time for crews to dig out the water source.

“We were lucky enough to have enough water on board,” shared Paradis, “to extinguish the fire.” During the incident a firefighter who rescued a dog from the condo and the home owner were injured. The condo unit sustained smoke and water damage.

Though they were lucky enough to have enough water on the truck to put the fire at bay, Paradis said firefighters can’t always depend on luck. 

Taking a proactive approach, Paradis is spearheading a project to install 4-foot day-glow orange fire hydrant makers on every unit in town. These markers, shared Paradis, will help firefighters located hydrants buried by snow or brush more quickly and help residents to locate hydrants to clear themselves before a fire happens. The metal markers are affixed to the hydrants where the water source is connected. 

Starting this week, you’ll see firefighters installing the tall metal polls on all 500 public fire hydrants in town. About another 300 units will be made by hopeful Eagle Scout Branford resident Kirk Anderson for the condo units in town. Firefighter/paramedic Randall Chittenden will be helping Anderson construct exact replicas of the purchased hydrant markers as a way to reduce the cost of the project and to help him earn his scouting merit.

Paradis said the idea of the markers as well as the use of Eagle Scout to make the project a full community effort was taken from Guilford Police Department who already implemented the initiative.

The total cost of the markers will be about $7,000; the money will come from 2011-12 Fund Drive of the Branford Fire Department’s Local Union 2533. Posts purchased will be about $9 a piece and those made by Anderson will cost about $5.50 a unit.

Paradis explained that the idea came from Firefighter Allyn Nenninger at a recent Local 2533 meeting when the discussion of how Drive Funds would be spent came up. They talked about having to use metal detectors to find hydrants in the deep snow and how frustrating it can be when lives are on the line.  One firefighter also said that last year crews used Google Maps Street View on smart phones to locate fire hydrants. 

Before committing to the project, Paradis said he checked with the Regional Water Authority who maintains the hydrants in town to see if they would fund the project and the answer was no. Branford pays the RWA $535,000 a year for the use of the hydrants, which they own, but the cost does not cover modifications such as hydrant markers.

Hoping to have all 750-plus hydrants equipped with markers in the next couple of weeks is a huge goal for the department. Paradis emphasized that it doesn’t take two snows to cover the hydrants. “The problem is,” he said, “the plows, when they come out of a driveway, they push the snow across the street.” The new equipment will save firefighters as much as 30 minutes at the scene, locating the essential source of putting out fires.

The department also encourages residents to help dig out fire hydrants in your neighborhood throughout the winter season. If you roll-up your sleeves to help out, take a photo of your cleared hydrant and e-mail it to Nicole.ball@patch.com and coffee will be on us!