Water Authority and Fire Departments Plan to Make Hydrant Improvements
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
Photo courtesy of fire departments – These photos from the fire departments show a hydrant that needs to be dug out or raised up for clear access.
Rodney Ross (New Salem Fire Chief) and Matt Hill (South Dade Fire Chief) joined the October 30th Dade County Water and Sewer Authority meeting to discuss improvements to fire hydrants. As Chairman Eddie Cantrell explained, “This was a first step to get us down the road.”
Ross explained that the fire departments have been trying to make improvements to hydrants that have a variety of minor issues and inconveniences for three years. He noted that the fire chiefs are working to address what they can, and not all details are known at this point.
As Cantrell later confirmed, part of the complication is the lack of clear jurisdiction over the hydrants as three parties are involved: fire departments, the Water and Sewer Authority, and Dade County government.
Hill explained that he had compiled a list of hydrants to improve several years ago. He reviewed this list at the October meeting. He said, “The National Fire Protection Association has a whole big book of recommendations. To me, they’re recommendations until something happens, but when something happens, it’s ‘Why didn’t you follow this?’”
For example, some hydrants may need to be raised up further from the ground, have an extension added, or pivoted for ease of access. Hill also discussed fences that are in the way of certain hydrants.
Cantrell explained that the next step is to get all three groups (fire chiefs, county government, and the water authority) together to figure out how many issues can be easily addressed and which party can address them.
