Firefighters test hydrants

It just might be the perfect job for a hot summer day: testing fire hydrants in the City of Sisters and the Tollgate subdivision.

This is an annual responsibility for the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, according to Fire Marshal David Wheeler.

“We have 197 hydrants that we test for a variety of reasons,” Wheeler explained. “First, we want to be sure that we can find them since both natural vegetation and landscaping materials often hide them from view. In addition, we want to be sure that all hydrants are functioning and that there is sufficient water pressure available.”

To be sure that firefighters can locate them during an emergency, the district requires that each hydrant has three feet of cleared space surrounding it.

“We will probably be doing some trimming of brush and limbs, as well as cutting grass,” Wheeler said.

Two fire science students attending Central Oregon Community College will spend two to three weeks checking the hydrants, Wheeler added. Derek Ralls has completed his first year of studies and Lee Pyke has finished his second year.

Currently, the district is using the traditional test of letting the water shoot out from the hydrant. “Sometimes, the wind changes and we get a little spray,” Pyke said. Eventually, the district will use a new system for testing. Rather than letting the open hydrant flow out on the ground, testers will use a hose system that diffuses the water over the ground. Besides testing at the open hydrant, they also test pressure at a nearby hydrant to see how the open hydrant affects pressure there.

On average, hydrants are located about 400 feet apart. However, as the city builds up with more residences and business buildings, that distance will likely be decreased to assure firefighters that there is a sufficient water supply close at hand, Wheeler said.