by Judy Frank
posted March 6, 2008
Current Signal Mountain regulations regarding the placement of fire hydrants far exceed Hamilton County requirements, Fire Chief John Vlasis told the town’s zoning board Thursday night.
Further, the town’s regulations – which require hydrants every 300 feet in some areas and every 500 feet in others – are contradictory, the fire chief advised officials.
Chief Vlasis, who emphasized that his presentation is strictly informational, said the town could save itself a lot of money by adopting the 500-feet rule throughout the community.
“To me, (the 300-feet rule) is overkill,” he said.
The standard in the county is that fire hydrants must be less than 1,000 feet apart, he noted.
Installing one hydrant costs about $2,500, Chief Vlasis said. That means that if the town annexed an area without hydrants and consequently had to install them, it would save $12,500 to $15,000 per mile by following the 500-feet rule rather than the more stringent one.
Developers building in the town would also benefit financially, he noted.
The change would not make it harder to fight fires, the fire chief said.
Signal Mountain fire trucks carry more than 1,200 feet of fire hose, which would be more than enough to reach a hydrant.
Further, if a second hydrant was needed and one was not available, a pumper truck could be brought in to provide the necessary water.
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