In light of the recent house fires in the Fishers area, take note of a sign that the Fishers Fire Department has started placing in certain areas around town.
The signs serve two functions: first, to warn the fire department they are in an unhydranted area and must begin laying large supply lines, and second, the large supply hose needs to be secured in order for it to be pulled off the truck’s hose bed. The firefighter will wrap the supply hose around the strong metal sign post that is extended far into the ground to help anchor the line before the fire truck pulls away, allowing the hose to be deployed.
These Fire 1 signs are placed in areas where a house is more than 1,000 feet away from a fire hydrant yet under 3,000 feet away. The purpose of this is to help the fire department know how many fire engines they are going to need. Each fire engine carries a 1,000 feet of supply hose. By using these signs, the fire fighters know if they are going to need additional engines to be able to hook up to the nearest hydrant.
Should a house be more than 3,000 feet away from a hydrant, there is a special tanker truck that holds 3,000 gallons of water and 3,000 feet of supply hose. The Town of Fishers has one on order, and it will be available for use soon. Currently the Town of Fishers has a smaller tanker that carries 1,500 gallons of water and also carries two portable pools that are placed on the ground and filled with water so tankers can run water relay. These pools are used to supply the pumping engine that supplies the hose lines to fight fires.
These signs are not meant to be permanent, but for now, the signs serve a purpose of helping our fire fighters be proactive when a house is on fire and to get to a water supply as quickly as possible. These signs not only save our houses and possessions but can save lives.
