1 year ago
36
A gushing fire hydrant Antioch Fire District Chief Jim Smith showed us is actually worthless to his firefighters.If you take a closer look, the hose hookup is damaged, making it one of several busted hydrants in the community.Smith said about a fifth of their hydrants are out of service.In fact, when one mobile home caught fire in 2021, his crews were scrambling to refill their tanker trucks for half an hour.“When we get to the hydrant location they just told us and it doesn't work, now we're searching. And that that was the contributing factor that that house burned completely up,” Smith said.The home was a total loss. Additional hydrants in front of commercial buildings are also defunct.One at the New Providence Baptist Church produces no water, no matter how many times they crank the wrench.However, Chief Smith is not alone.According to a recent inventory paid for by Jefferson County, 79 fire hydrants in communities like Antioch, Birmingport, McCalla and McAdory need significant repairs or replacement.McAdory's fire chief says this hydrant in front of the high school is one of more than fifty out of service in his community.Use the interactive map to find the broken fire hydrants below.Can't see the graphic? Click here.The Jefferson County Commission president said the number of hydrants out of service in the area is horrific. So the commission began working on a solution.After finishing the inventory and calculating the cost, they identified $250,000 in federal rescue plan cash to fund the fix.“We will make sure that it gets done and that nothing like this ever happens again,” Stephens said.Since all of the hydrants in question are owned by the Warrior River Water Authority, we wanted to know who would handle repairs in the future.The authority's CEO tells us it is up to each fire district to pay for repairs since they are not charged for water or hydrant rental.We did find a 2015 attorney general opinion stating that absent an agreement to the contrary, the utility, “As the owner of the fire hydrants, is responsible for paying for the repairs and maintenance of its fire hydrants."The Water Authority says the fire district repair cost policy has been in effect for 45 years, thus complying with the opinion.Chief Smith agrees with the attorney general and looks forward to a solution giving his crews the hydro support they need to properly protect his community.“I hope the county pushes the water authority into repairing these hydrants, and I don't feel that it's the county's responsibility to fund it. I think it's the Water Authority's,” Smith said.Commissioner Stephens believes the Water Authority should be able to receive the $250,000 grant money next month.Work to fix or replace the hydrants should start by the beginning of next year.
ANTIOCH, Ala. —
A gushing fire hydrant Antioch Fire District Chief Jim Smith showed us is actually worthless to his firefighters.
If you take a closer look, the hose hookup is damaged, making it one of several busted hydrants in the community.
Smith said about a fifth of their hydrants are out of service.
In fact, when one mobile home caught fire in 2021, his crews were scrambling to refill their tanker trucks for half an hour.
“When we get to the hydrant location they just told us and it doesn't work, now we're searching. And that that was the contributing factor that that house burned completely up,” Smith said.
The home was a total loss. Additional hydrants in front of commercial buildings are also defunct.
One at the New Providence Baptist Church produces no water, no matter how many times they crank the wrench.
However, Chief Smith is not alone.
According to a recent inventory paid for by Jefferson County, 79 fire hydrants in communities like Antioch, Birmingport, McCalla and McAdory need significant repairs or replacement.
McAdory's fire chief says this hydrant in front of the high school is one of more than fifty out of service in his community.
Use the interactive map to find the broken fire hydrants below.
Can't see the graphic? Click here.
The Jefferson County Commission president said the number of hydrants out of service in the area is horrific.
So the commission began working on a solution.
After finishing the inventory and calculating the cost, they identified $250,000 in federal rescue plan cash to fund the fix.
“We will make sure that it gets done and that nothing like this ever happens again,” Stephens said.
Since all of the hydrants in question are owned by the Warrior River Water Authority, we wanted to know who would handle repairs in the future.
The authority's CEO tells us it is up to each fire district to pay for repairs since they are not charged for water or hydrant rental.
We did find a 2015 attorney general opinion stating that absent an agreement to the contrary, the utility, “As the owner of the fire hydrants, is responsible for paying for the repairs and maintenance of its fire hydrants."
The Water Authority says the fire district repair cost policy has been in effect for 45 years, thus complying with the opinion.
Chief Smith agrees with the attorney general and looks forward to a solution giving his crews the hydro support they need to properly protect his community.
“I hope the county pushes the water authority into repairing these hydrants, and I don't feel that it's the county's responsibility to fund it. I think it's the Water Authority's,” Smith said.
Commissioner Stephens believes the Water Authority should be able to receive the $250,000 grant money next month.
Work to fix or replace the hydrants should start by the beginning of next year.
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