Despite repeated reminders by the FDNY not to block critical access to fire hydrants which are needed to access water supply in the event of a fire, at least one driver has resorted to a new low all in a seemingly selfish move to covertly secure a parking space. A resident of the Mount Hope section of The Bronx shared photos with Norwood News which she took of a fire hydrant covered with a traffic cone, an act which has the potential to cause major disruption to firefighters in the event of a fire in the area, not only because the hydrant is covered and unseen, but also because it is inaccessible to fire trucks due to the adjacent parked cars.

 

Dilletta Pina told Norwood News “This is what they are doing in the Mount Hope area. In order to park illegally, they are putting the large construction orange cones on top of the hydrants.”

Pina continued, “This is very dangerous in case of a fire. The FDNY will be delayed in getting to the hydrant while the building is on fire, endangering the residents.” Pina said she has already reported the problem to the 46th Precinct but thought the community needed to know also.

 

Meanwhile, local residents of East Gun Hill Road in Norwood recently contacted both Alina Dowe, Bronx borough director for the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, and local Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) to let them know that a fire hydrant located on a section of East Gun Hill Road was almost empty.

 

“This is to ask you to see if you can do something about an open fire hydrant in our neighborhood that has been running literally for months, not ‘full blast’, but certainly at a level that must be wasting millions of gallons of our water,” the residents wrote, providing a copy to Norwood News.

They continued in part, “We have reported it twice to 311 and so have others. The hydrant is still running.” The residents pinpointed where the hydrant was located which is on a stretch of East Gun Hill Road between Webster Avenue and Jerome Avenue, and cited one local business as being one of the others which had also complained about the near empty hydrant.

 

Norwood News later spoke to the business owner in question about the issue and though he confirmed he had logged 311 complaints and contacted the City about the issue, he declined to be quoted in this story for fear of retribution and loss of business. We understand that this may be because often the hydrants are left open by local residents to cool down.

 

A representative for the assemblyman’s office replied, saying, “Thank you for letting us know,” and asked for details of the 311 complaints. Norwood News has contacted Dowes for comment on the situation and will update this story upon receipt of any response we receive.

 

A visit to, and an examination of, the fire hydrant in question on Friday, April 14, showed water slowly dribbling out of it and it was unclear whether it was in good working order or not. The area in question is a busy commercial and residential corridor which contains many multi-story buildings.

 

Norwood News checked other fire hydrants along the same stretch of the street. Some appeared to have their covers completely removed while others did not. It was not immediately clear if those with the side covers removed were empty or in good working order.

 

Last year, Norwood News reported on a number of fire hydrants which were seen running at full throttle over the summer months at various locations around the Northwest Bronx to raise awareness of the issue.

As previously reported, the FDNY reminds residents that spray caps are available for free from any firehouse and can be used and attached to fire hydrants in order to cool down. However, opening fire hydrants at full throttle is illegal, wastes water, and may cause a fire hazard in the event of a fire.

 

“The improper opening of fire hydrants wastes 1,000 gallons of water per minute, causes flooding on city streets, and lowers water pressure to dangerous levels, which hamper the ability of the Fire Department to fight fires safely and quickly,” City officials said.

 

FDNY officials encourage residents to use the available “spray caps” to reduce hydrant output to what they say is a safe 25 gallons per minute while still providing relief from the heat. “To obtain a spray cap, an adult 18 years or older with proper identification can go to his or her local firehouse and request one,” city officials said.

An FDNY spokesperson later provided Norwood News with some clarification on the status of fire hydrants, saying, “Fire hydrants are connected to the water mains of NYC. A fire hydrant can never be empty [though leaving hydrants open and wasting water can deplete the water and pressure, making it harder for firefighters to fight fires]. Technically, every fire hydrant is empty until one of our members utilizes the appropriate tool to allow it to flow water. While missing side covers pose a threat to the community, it has more to do with litter bugs disposing of garbage within hydrants that can later clog up the hose lines we use to supply water [in the event of a fire].”

 

The spokesperson added, “When you look inside a fire hydrant, it should not have water pooling within it. In fact water pooling inside of a hydrant not being used is more of an indication of a problem than an empty hydrant.”

 

In December 2022, we also reported how one Norwood resident took issue with apparent lack of enforcement around fire hydrant access. Referring to the Wayne Avenue junction at the Reservoir Oval, the resident said, “You have people parking at hydrants and they put a [hi-viz] vest on there, and it’s like, they don’t get tickets. I’ve seen people park here at the hydrant. They’re from other states, and they put a little thing that they work for the fire department, and they don’t get tickets.”

 

Separately, Norwood News also reported last year on potential fire hazards associated with excessive use of fire hydrant water supply by mobile car wash businesses, an issue which also left some residents worried for their safety in the event of a fire.

As reported, fire department officials said one elderly female resident was hospitalized following an “all hands” fire at 2364 Tiebout Avenue in Fordham Heights on Tuesday, March 28. Twelve fire units, comprising 60 personnel arrived at the scene, according to the FDNY. “One civilian in serious condition [was] transported to Jacobi Hospital,” the spokesperson later said, adding that the fire was brought under control at 2.22 p.m. and the cause was under investigation.

 

Meanwhile, a further 5-alarm fire was reported on East 205th Street in Bedford Park on Tuesday, April 11. No [human] injuries were reported. A story on the incident is coming soon.

Open hydrants deplete water sources and pressure, making it hard to fight fires. New Yorkers can #BeatTheHeat this summer by visiting a firehouse and requesting a spray cap.

See more #FDNYSmart tips for a safe summer at https://t.co/NpwdRdlElY pic.twitter.com/oizqNYOwZm

— FDNY (@FDNY) August 7, 2022

 

Meanwhile, the American Red Cross gives the following advice regarding pets and fire safety. “Keep pets near entrances when away from home. Keep collars on pets and leashes at the ready in case firefighters need to rescue them. When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.”

 

Additional advice included affixing a pet alert window cling and writing down the number of pets inside a home and attaching the static cling to a front window. “This critical information saves rescuers time locating your pets,” the website extract read. “Keep the number of pets listed updated.”

As summer approaches, residents are also reminded that it is cruel to harness dogs with heavy metal chains which are not only uncomfortable but can burn dogs since metal can reach extremely hot temperatures, as can sidewalk paving which can burn their paws. According to the Humane Society of the United States, collars should be comfortable and fitted properly; choke chains should never be used, according to the Society. Also, keeping an animal tethered for long periods, or during extreme weather and disasters is also never acceptable. Visit The Red Cross website for more information on pet safety.

 

For other tips on surviving the heat, click here.

 

We’re checking with the City on the status of the impacted hydrants and will update this story upon receipt of feedback.

 

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported that the fire hydrant on East Gun Hill Road appeared almost empty. As above, FDNY officials have clarified that a fire hydrant can never be empty but public unauthorized use of a hydrant can cause other issues like depleted water pressure or clogging, as described above, both of which can hamper firefighters’ work when responding to a fire.