Fire Hydrant Question

[Lurk]

Because my husband is an electrician, not a fireman nor does he work for the fire Marshall's office. I was looks for answers from someone more qualified? Is that so odd??

Using that logic, we should all ignore Larry Gude's posts? Really, I'm just pulling your leg. You sounded a lot like my bride, that's all.

 

[Pyrotech]

Rather than the fire dept, maybe contact the water authority, like Metcom, since they are the ones that have to install them.

Its Federal, not local. You have to look it up in the National Fire Code.

 

[Baja28]

Its Federal, not local. You have to look it up in the National Fire Code.

Negative. It's governed by local jurisdictions. NFPA has nothing to do with it.

Here is Fairfax County, VA for instance. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/prevention/fmhydrants.htm

 

[ICit]

back in the day with my old job.... I dealt with subdivisions for the tri county area. Many of them didnt show fire hydrants UNLESS THEY HAD PUBLIC SEWER/WATER.

I am glad that I have them where I live and one just over a 100' from my place ... and yes...it makes a big difference on insurance . ... also i have a sprinkler system in my place!! Insurance co loves it!! and so do I!!

 

[Ken King]

For St. Mary's the information can be found in St. Mary’s County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Article 7. SITE DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCE PROTECTION STANDARDS, section 70.12 - http://www.stmarysmd.com/docs/Article7.pdf (pages 12 and 13 of the document)

 

[officeguy]

back in the day with my old job.... I dealt with subdivisions for the tri county area. Many of them didnt show fire hydrants UNLESS THEY HAD PUBLIC SEWER/WATER.

There is really no other way to install hydrants than in a street with public water.

In rural subdivisions, they will occasionally have 'pumping sites' pre-plumbed to draw water from a pond or cistern.

 

[dawn]

Does anyone know the laws about fire hydrants? I'm told, there is a law that states a fire hydrant has to be within so many feet of a residence. I've emailed the fire department but got no response. I did call, but I think they're a bit busy today with the whole lumber yard being on fire and no one answered the non emergency phone. Anyone know what the law is?

You are well and septic arent you? We have no fire hydrants around here, we just have that big pond off of horsehead road that the fire trucks have to go to and fill up the tankers! When I moved here in 1997 Allstate wouldnt insure my home because we were more than 5 miles from a hydrant.....but as I said we have none around here. Just thankfully we have baden, hugesville and brandywine fire departments relatively close!

 

[KDENISE977]

You are well and septic arent you? We have no fire hydrants around here, we just have that big pond off of horsehead road that the fire trucks have to go to and fill up the tankers! When I moved here in 1997 Allstate wouldnt insure my home because we were more than 5 miles from a hydrant.....but as I said we have none around here. Just thankfully we have baden, hugesville and brandywine fire departments relatively close!

Yes. We are well and septic. Hughesville FD is about 3 or 4 miles away.

 

[ICit]

There is really no other way to install hydrants than in a street with public water.

In rural subdivisions, they will occasionally have 'pumping sites' pre-plumbed to draw water from a pond or cistern.

that was my point .....

if you want to live in the boonies.... or out of most subdivisions...... well you will have to sacrifice a few things... but gain others like privacy

 

[officeguy]

that was my point .....

if you want to live in the boonies.... or out of most subdivisions...... well you will have to sacrifice a few things... but gain others like privacy

When I moved to SoMD, I wondered why every little VFD had 2 pumpers and a tanker until I understood how few homes are on central water.

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

Yes. We are well and septic. Hughesville FD is about 3 or 4 miles away.

In the Hughesville first due there are many sites avaliable for water. A few years back our chief at that time, was really big on water supplies and sprinklers in new homes. Many of the new subdivisions in and around Hughesville, the builders were required to put in large underground storage tanks for the fire departments to have a source of water to fight a fire. They are a spread out within the first due. There are also tankers which HVFD has and every dept that borders Hughesville have. We also have water supplies from ponds and creeks which are marked by signs and a list that shows where every source of water is.
The tanker is suppose to be the first out the door. At HVFD the tanker is also a pumper tanker, so besides just carrying water they can also fight a fire, till help arrives.
When I would be around the firehouse we would get a good number of calls from homeowners and insurance companies asking about hydrants and how far we were from some specfic house.
So although alot of areas in SoMd dont have fire hydrants many areas do have many places to get water in case of a fire.
The lumber yard fire there was plenty of water, but that fire was already blazing before the call even went out, you could see a huge cloud of black smoke as they went out the door. That fire caused over a million dollars in damages, the many fire depts. fighting the fire saved it from spreading any further and saved another million and half of lumber and buildings.

 

[KDENISE977]

In the Hughesville first due there are many sites avaliable for water. A few years back our chief at that time, was really big on water supplies and sprinklers in new homes. Many of the new subdivisions in and around Hughesville, the builders were required to put in large underground storage tanks for the fire departments to have a source of water to fight a fire. They are a spread out within the first due. There are also tankers which HVFD has and every dept that borders Hughesville have. We also have water supplies from ponds and creeks which are marked by signs and a list that shows where every source of water is.
The tanker is suppose to be the first out the door. At HVFD the tanker is also a pumper tanker, so besides just carrying water they can also fight a fire, till help arrives.
When I would be around the firehouse we would get a good number of calls from homeowners and insurance companies asking about hydrants and how far we were from some specfic house.
So although alot of areas in SoMd dont have fire hydrants many areas do have many places to get water in case of a fire.
The lumber yard fire there was plenty of water, but that fire was already blazing before the call even went out, you could see a huge cloud of black smoke as they went out the door. That fire caused over a million dollars in damages, the many fire depts. fighting the fire saved it from spreading any further and saved another million and half of lumber and buildings.

Thank you< that's what got me wondering where out water source would be should we ever have a fire.