Use Of Fire Hydrants

Fire Hydrant Status Notification

• Fire hydrants differing from Pre-Incident Plans must have a Fire Hydrant Status Notification completed and forwarded immediately to the Fire Operations Officer, Fire Marshal's office, and the District Chief.
• Public concerns regarding fire hydrants should be investigated by a designated Fire Safety Specialist or Inspector.

Large Volume Water Requests

• During large fire emergencies needing additional water flow, the Incident Commander must instruct the Emergency Operations Center to notify the Water Utility Company with specific location requirements.
• For training drills requiring hydrant use, the supervising officer must inform the utility company about the drill's location and estimated water usage beforehand.
• A master list of contact numbers for all Water Utility Companies and related districts is maintained by the Fire Marshal's office on the Fire Rescue Intranet.

Maintenance and Reporting Procedures

• Out of service hydrants are to be marked with a black plastic bag to indicate their status until repairs are made.
• Once an out-of-service hydrant is repaired, the Fire Marshal's office notifies all relevant parties, including the person who reported the issue.
• Continuous tracking of non-operational hydrants is the responsibility of the Fire Marshal's office; if repairs exceed 30 days, the issue is referred to Palm Beach County Code Enforcement.

Documentation and Notification

• Contact records following the reporting of hydrants must include photographic evidence and complete Fire Hydrant Status Notification documentation.
• The Fire Marshal's office will forward notifications about malfunctioning hydrants to appropriate utility personnel for repairs.
• Routine communication between the Fire Operations Officer and the Fire Marshal’s office ensures accurate record-keeping of hydrant statuses.

Policy Overview

• The policy (PPM # FR-B-103) aims to streamline the reporting process for hydrant status, ensuring operational efficiency for firefighting efforts.
• Scopes of the policy apply to all Palm Beach County Fire Rescue personnel, mandating compliance with documented procedures regarding hydrants.
• Updates to the policy are to be managed by the Fire Marshal in collaboration with relevant department heads and committees.

Test your knowledge on fire hydrant status notifications and large volume water requests in emergency situations. This quiz covers key protocols that need to be followed when a fire hydrant is found in a different location than planned. Ensure you're familiar with the necessary reporting procedures and contacts involved in fire operations.