SOURCES OF DANGER

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 51, 23 November 1929, Page 9

SOURCES OF DANGER

CARS OVER FIRE PLUGS HYDRANTS ON, ROADWAYS The potential danger of the practice of parking motor-cars over fire hydrants, and the dislocation frequently caused through having hydrants on the roadway instead of the footpath, were referred to at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Fire Board. The discussion was the result of a communication from the city engineer (Mr. G. Hart), who wrote as follows: —“It is the practice of this department to place hydrants at distances not exceeding 80 yards from each other. Generally speaking, of course, in the higher value districts of the city, the hydrants are much more closely spaced than this. This department is at all times willing to co-operate with your fire superintendent in considering the installation of additional fire-plugs where he considers necessary. All the fire-plugs are regularly examined and cleaned by the district turncocks, of whose daily routine this duty forms a portion, but I should be glad if you would arrange with the fire superintendent to advise me at once of any fire-plugs, which, to his knowledge, are not always maintained in the most effective working order. He should also forward a list of any localities in which he considers additional fire-plugs should be installed.” v The superintendent (Mr. J. Creeke) said it was necessary to go into the question of placing all fire hydrants on the footpath, also the distance between the hydrants, size of mains for future operations to meet the inevitable demand for water, and the placing of mains on both sides of important streets. A common but dangerous practice, he said, was the parking of cars over hydrants. In modern cities hydrants were now placed on the footpaths. The chairman (Mr. N. W. Nelson) said that motorists were not careful enough to see whether they were over plugs or not, particularly at night. Mr. Creeke mentioned that in some cases the hydrants were on the tram track, and as soon as the brigade sank a standpipe it meant blocking the traffic. In some cases the distance between the hydrants was 100 yards. This was too much. The matter was' left to the superintendent to discuss with the city engineer.