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Cicero fire chiefs urge quick action after July 4 Sneller Road blaze; board asks staff to map hydrant gaps
Summary
After a July 4 structure fire that required a 4,000‑foot hose lay and multiple tanker operations, fire officials told the town board Sneller Road lacks adequate hydrants and urged installing roughly 14 hydrants (about $15,000 each) to meet 500‑foot spacing. The board asked chiefs to produce a prioritized list and asked Aqua for flow data.
A fire department presenter told the Cicero Town Board that a July 4 residential fire on Sneller Road exposed a critical lack of hydrants and water pressure in that two‑mile stretch. The presenter said the initial engines depleted onboard tanks in minutes and the response required bringing seven tanker apparatus and setting up portable ponds, taking about 30 minutes to establish a steady water supply.
"It took 30 minutes before we got the porta pond ready and going," the presenter said, describing how firefighters laid more than 4,000 feet of 4‑inch supply hose and staged additional engines to maintain pressure for hand lines and aerial devices. He said some hydrants in the area are buried or inaccessible and that only two hydrants serve the entire stretch, one nearly a mile away.
The presenter recommended connecting existing mains and installing hydrants every 500 feet in residential areas; he and other chiefs estimated about 14 hydrants would be required for the Sneller stretch at roughly $15,000 per hydrant (about $210,000). He contrasted that one‑time cost with an alternative of purchasing and maintaining additional tanker capacity, which he estimated would cost roughly $555,000 over 15 years.
Board members pressed staff for specific technical data. One member said the board pays Aqua annually for hydrant maintenance and asked for documentation on which hydrants receive flow testing and the actual flows. Another questioned whether mains in the area remain at their designed diameters due to corrosion and urged Aqua to provide current GPM flow figures.
The board directed fire and town staff to collaborate on a prioritized list of locations lacking hydrants, to request flow and maintenance data from Aqua, and to obtain cost estimates for connecting Stellar Road and installing hydrants. Chiefs agreed to produce a map of locations and to follow up with Aqua and the county. Members flagged budgeting as a near‑term challenge but said phased installation or budgeted annual installments would be considered.
Why it matters: hydrant spacing and reliable flow affect response times, firefighting tactics and community safety. The July 4 incident required mutual‑aid resources that left other towns with gaps in protection while helping Cicero.
What’s next: fire chiefs will submit a prioritized map and list of required hydrants; staff will request Aqua’s flow and maintenance reports; the board will consider budgeting options and may add hydrant work to future capital plans or special meetings.
