DRY HYDRANT
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Water supply is an important factor in fighting any fire. Where fire-fighting water will come from is a concern for any fire department whose response area includes territory that does not have a city water supply. This holds true for the Randolph-Hampton Fire District. The City of Randolph and the City of Hampton both have city water supplies, however the Fire District also responds to parts of six rural townships that do not have municipal water supplies. There is also at least one residential area in the City of Hampton that is not serviced by the city water supply.
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So how do we fight rural fires? We bring our own water. The Fire district has two "Tenders", formerly called tankers, and each has a portable drop tank. When it is necessary to provide our own water, the portable tank will be set up next to an Engine and the Tender will fill the tank with water. The Tender will then go to the nearest water supply, refill, and return to the scene to keep the drop tank filled. Minimizing the distance that the Tender needs to travel is important in meeting water supply needs.
A dry hydrant is a vertical pipe with a Fire Department connection that goes down to a natural water supply instead of a city water system. For example, the pipe runs horizontal into Lake Byllesby to a point that is not expected to be affected by the cyclical rising and falling of the reservoir level.
Regular fire hydrants are pressurized by the city water supply, whereas a dry hydrant is not pressurized and, therefore, an Engine must connect to the Fire Department fitting at the dry hydrant. The Engine uses its pump suction capabilities (called drafting) to draw water through the dry hydrant and fill the Tender which then returns to the fire ground and fills the drop tank.
A dry hydrant is a vertical pipe with a Fire Department connection that goes down to a natural water supply instead of a city water system. For example, the pipe runs horizontal into Lake Byllesby to a point that is not expected to be affected by the cyclical rising and falling of the reservoir level.
Regular fire hydrants are pressurized by the city water supply, whereas a dry hydrant is not pressurized and, therefore, an Engine must connect to the Fire Department fitting at the dry hydrant. The Engine uses its pump suction capabilities (called drafting) to draw water through the dry hydrant and fill the Tender which then returns to the fire ground and fills the drop tank.