Morris Ferry Dock receives hydrant: Fire Departments join in activation

Members of the Capitol Hill and Arnold Air Force Base fire departments work together to perform a first draft of the dry hydrant installed at Morris Ferry Dock. Pictured in the first photo are Capitol Hill fire personnel hooking the fire truck up to the dry hydrant. As seen in the second photo, the fire hose successfully sprays water from the lake. Pictured in the last photo are AEDC fire personnel Odell Crutchfield (left) and Billy King (right) assisting in detaching equipment from the truck. (Photos by Jacqueline Cowan)

Published June 9, 2014
By Deidre Ortiz
AEDC/PA

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. -- Members of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Fire Department and the Capitol Hill Fire Department joined their efforts in activating a new dry hydrant at the Morris Ferry Dock.

James Evans, assistant fire chief of the Arnold Air Force Base (AFB) Fire Department, stated acquiring this hydrant at Morris Ferry Dock has been a work in progress and both departments are proud that it's now installed.

"About a year ago Capitol Hill's fire chief and Arnold AFB Fire Inspector Steve Macon saw a need for a dry hydrant to supply water to the Morris Ferry Dock area in the event of a fire," Evans said. "After working with several base officials, the hydrant was installed ago."

Though the dry hydrant at Morris Ferry Dock has been set up and ready to go, the weather had not allowed the fire departments to test the hydrant until recently.

On May 16 members of the Capitol Hill and Arnold fire departments met to, according to Evans, "put [the hydrant] through its maiden voyage."

And while they don't work together daily, this occasion is far from the first time that the Arnold Fire Department has teamed up with Capitol Hill's firefighters.

Arnold Deputy Fire Chief Daryl Vancise explained Capitol Hill Fire Department is one of the base's valued and trusted Mutual Aid (MA) partners.

"Our MA agreement with Capitol Hill allows us to support their emergency responses when necessary and provides an avenue of additional resources for us as well," he said.

Vancise added that the dry hydrant they worked to get will be greatly beneficial to the area and to fire personnel in the event of a fire there.

"This hydrant will allow fire apparatus to refill their water tanks during emergencies," he said. "Hydrants are scarce in that area so having access to water from the lake will increase the chance for successful fire operations."

The dry hydrant itself is a unique type of hydrant which pulls water from an existing water source. Dry hydrant systems are generally non-pressurized and are designed for use in a drafting application. The installation of these systems on alternate water supplies can provide year-round water sources for fire suppression. Installed in strategic areas, five or more dry hydrants often become a main water supply system for rural fire departments where pressurized systems are not available or where lines are too small to support needed fire flows. However, they can also be used to supplement pressurized systems in municipal areas where low water pressure exists or where back-up systems are desirable for emergency preparedness.