Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Deputy Supervisor urges probe after fire hydrants failed during active blaze
Summary
At the May 28 Town of Malone meeting, Deputy Supervisor Terrence Maguire and Deputy Highway Superintendent John Manley reported fire hydrants failed to supply water during recent incidents; the board said it will investigate whether inspections by DANC were performed as required.
Deputy Supervisor Terrence Maguire told the Town of Malone Board on May 28 that the Malone Call Firemen reported a fire hydrant would not open during an active fire, and said he believes DANC is responsible for semiannual safety checks but the board does not know the date of the last inspection. Maguire said the board will investigate the problem as a public-safety priority.
Deputy Highway Superintendent John Manley said that during a house fire a few months ago the fire department opened a hydrant and "no water came out for twenty-five to thirty minutes," a delay he described as "a huge concern." The minutes record both statements as part of the board's discussion of hydrant reliability.
The board did not record a formal motion at the meeting to order a specific test or contract but Maguire said he and the board would look into the issue further. No timetable or specific next step was recorded in the minutes; the board directed staff to investigate past inspection records and bring findings back to a future meeting.
The concern centers on whether scheduled maintenance and inspections have been performed and whether the town or an outside contractor should take immediate corrective action. DANC was named in the discussion as the entity Maguire believed performed hydrant checks every six months; the minutes state "no one is sure of the last time DANC did inspections."
