Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chief details hydrant inventory and annual testing; says water supply not a concern
Summary
The fire chief reported the city maintains 1,483 hydrants, most meeting NFPA color‑coded flow standards; annual testing, coordination with public works and updates to records are standard practice, chief said.
Paris Fire Department leadership told the City Council Jan. 27 that the city maintains an inventory of 1,483 fire hydrants and conducts annual flow testing and maintenance to keep hydrants in service.
Councilmember Alex Putnam had requested the briefing after national news about firefighting water supply. The fire chief (name not specified on the record) said the department uses an interactive online base map showing each hydrant’s location and color code to indicate flow capacity and that crews test and maintain every hydrant annually. ‘‘Every hydrant in Paris is numbered and has a corresponding GPS coordinates assigned to it,’’ the chief said.
Staff presented these counts and color coding based on NFPA 291 standards: 1,483 total hydrants in the city database; roughly 1,446 are city‑owned with at least 37 recorded as private; earlier records showed 14 out of service, but field checks reduced that number to about four hydrants believed to be inoperable. The chief said the department uses a color system: blue tops (exceeding 1,500 gallons per minute) — two hydrants; green tops (1,000–1,499 GPM) — 1,276 hydrants (about 86%); orange (500–999 GPM) — 169; red (400–499 GPM) — 13; and black (no measurable flow) — 23. The chief said most black‑top hydrants are on older mains and will require capital improvement projects (CIP) to restore flow.
The chief described annual maintenance steps: removing caps, cleaning and oiling operating stems, placing a diffuser on one hydrant to flush until clear, pressure testing and recording the measured flow. Significant changes (roughly a 10 PSI differential) prompt a public works investigation; contractors’ activities and partially closed valves are common root causes. Private hydrants (fewer than 40) are the property owner’s responsibility; the department reports noncompliance to the fire marshal when needed.
On the record, the chief said water supply was not a concern for firefighting operations in Paris. Council members praised interdepartmental coordination between public works, CIP and the fire department.
No formal action was taken; the presentation concluded with council questions and staff responses.
