By TATYANA TURNER

Norwood residents are trying to find measures to beat the heat as the summer settles in, by cracking open a fire hydrant. But as children turn open hydrants into neighborhood gatherings, a slew of open fire hydrants throughout the summer has members of the FDNY shutting them off, pointing out the dangers in leaving them open.

On Hull Avenue by East Mosholu Parkway, a man was seen washing his car with help from a moderately gushing hydrant. According to one neighbor, the hydrant had been left open for days. On Decatur Avenue near 197th Street, children were seen jumping in and out of a hydrant stream, the water flowing towards a nearby storm drain.

According to the FDNY “fire hydrants create dangerously low levels of water pressure, which can significantly impact FDNY operations in case of a fire.” The FDNY also stressed that open fully flowing hydrants can put lives at risk.

Although an open fire hydrant is a favorite pastime for some residents, it can also be a hazard to people’s safety and the environment, according to officials with the FDNY and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in charge of the more than 109,000 hydrants citywide.

“Illegally opened fire hydrants release more than 1,000 gallons of water per minute,” according to a recent statement by the DEP. On a recent afternoon in Norwood, open fire hydrants have been spotted at the corner of Reservoir Oval East and Putnam Place, where kids spent several hours playing at the corner hydrant before the FDNY reduced pressure, and installed a sprinkler cap. But even so, the hydrant’s sprinkler system remained on for days, with people spotted cleaning their hands and feet, feeding their dogs and using it to wash their cars.

Some neighborhood parents have heeded that call, though for the safety of their children.

At Williamsbridge Oval Park, home to an active sprinkler system, Angie Ramirez told the Norwood News she won’t allow her kids to play at a hydrant since “there are crazy drivers that can put children at risk.”

“I would play in them when I was younger,” said Ramirez. “But times have changed.”

Chanta Pressley, another Norwood mom hanging by the park’s benches, said “I would let my children in the fire hydrant because they are old enough to be a part of that culture. My only main concern would be vehicles.”

For years, a program called Hydrant Education Action Team (HEAT) has taken measures in preventing the abuse of open fire hydrants. Last year, HEAT opened its doors to teens in the Summer Youth Employment Program to expand their campaign and teach locals about fire hydrant safety by handing out informational flyers and hosting community events.

There are ways to stop the flow of an open fire hydrant. Residents can call 311 to have the fire department put a cap on it. Another alternative is to obtain a city-approved spray cap that’s free and can be given to anyone over the age of 18 at any fire station. This can reduce the amount of running water because it only releases between 20 and 25 gallons of water per minute.

The person responsible for leaving a fire hydrant open can pay a fine up to $1,000 and spend up to 30 days in jail.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.