Hastings Highlands has a new fire-fighting tool in its kit.
This is a rural method used for accessing water when there’s no pressurized hydrants, often used in cities.
A dry hydrant is a pipe that’s installed near a water source such as a lake or a pond that goes down beneath the frost level and allows quick access to water throughout the year.
According to Hastings Highlands Fire chief Bryce Robinson, this can save a lot of time. In winter, in order to get water, fire crews may have to chop holes in the ice of frozen lakes, sometimes in unsafe conditions.
Robinson described the difference having a dry hydrant can make:
“In winter, you take the chainsaw and cut a hole in the ice. You run the pipe into the lake and then start sucking. If it’s a real cold winter, then the ice is thick and then maybe there isn’t enough water and we got to keep moving out until we get enough deep enough water ” explained Robinson.
“Where as this here, we hook onto the dry hydrant and the water is right there”
My Bancroft Now asked Robinson if there is any risk involved for the firefighters going out on the ice in winter and the shoulder seasons.
“Yeah, there’s lots of times when it’s unsafe to go out to do them, but you just do your best with what you have. Like sometimes you have to change a water source to be able to make it safe for the individual to go out on it”
Deputy fire Chief Mike Bendell pointed out this can delay response time. One of the goals of the dry hydrants is to provide quicker access to water sources, with less steps involved to get the water.
Bendell and Robinson say the fire department is hoping to have most, if not all, of the dry hydrants installed before next winter.
The first one was installed at Station 3 last week.
