FIRE Hydrants

The following is a letter from Lieutenant Gordon Stevens, Fire Station 18 in Mountain Shadows (posted 8/16/2003):

Hi Neighbors,

The crew at Fire Station 18 A Shift, are surveying the fire hydrants in your neighborhood. We are looking at the locations of the hydrants and assuring that they are both visible and accessible. We often find that landscaping, trees or bushes are obstructing fire hydrants. These obstructions make it difficult and sometimes impossible to connect our hoses to them. Obviously, this can be a problem for firefighters and homeowners because it takes longer to secure a water supply to fight fires in homes served by that hydrant. When we find a fire hydrant that is obstructed, we contact the property owner and explain the situation. In some cases we have been unable to personally talk to the owner to help us bring the hydrant to a useable condition. The Uniform Fire Code requires that there be 3 feet clearance around the hydrant for connection of hoses. We will be very happy to assist you with questions you may have, or make suggestions on how to make your property fire-safe and fire hydrant user-friendly. You may contact Lieutenant Gordon Stevens, Fire Station 18, through Colorado Springs Fire Department Operations Division 719-385-5950.

Thank you,

Lieutenant G L Stevens