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2018 Annual Report • Fire Department • St. Anthony Village, Minnesota <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />26 | P a g e <br /> <br />HYDRANT FLOW TESTING AND FIRE DEPARTMENT PREPLANNING <br />In order to assure that water is available on demand when a devastating event such as a <br />structure fire occurs, we need to make sure that we have a reliable and continuous supply of <br />water from the fire hydrants throughout our the city. The Public Works Department ensures <br />that the hydrants are flushed out and operational after the long cold winters we have. After the <br />flushing is completed, the Fire Department joins with the Public Works Department in taking <br />hydrant flow tests. This is done to ensure there is adequate flow for the area coming from each <br />hydrant. The amount of water flow needed for an area is based on zoning for that area. For <br />example, a commercial area with larger buildings will require more water supply in order to <br />extinguish a structure fire than a single family home located in a residential area. Under the <br />ground there are different sized water mains that are sized based on the area they are <br />supporting. We conduct flow tests in an effort to ensure the water supply is adequate for the <br />area. Each spring after the hydrant flushing is completed, we test about 8 or so hydrants. This <br />amount is done so that over the course of a 5 year ISO Insurance update, we have 40 or so <br />hydrants tested that show proper amounts of flow delivered to that area of service. These tests <br />involve using special tools and gauges along with mathematical calculations to acquire the <br />information necessary. This is all done in the name of safety, and to ensure that at times of <br />emergency, we have a proper working hydrant as close as possible to the fire scene. <br />Testing our hydrants is not the only way that we prepare for fires or other emergencies in our <br />city. We also prepare with what is called Fire Department Pre-Planning. A Pre-Plan is a view of <br />a structure laid out on paper or on a computer screen. This includes an overhead view of the <br />structure with important fire safety related landmarks labeled for quick access to their location. <br />For example: Exits, sprinkler riser location, alarm panel location, hazardous material locations, <br />elevators, etc. We gather a lot of building information and place it into a concise and useful <br />layout. Pre-Planning for emergencies is akin to what most people do when taking a vacation. <br />There are certain things that are planned out ahead of time so that when you get to your <br />destination, you already have an idea of what to expect. For example you may arrange your <br />hotel reservations, rental car and any day trip tickets in advance of you arriving so that process <br />of organizing those items do not eat up your precious time while there. A Pre-Plan serves the <br />same purpose. It helps us see and study the layout and contents of buildings in an easy to use <br />and easy to access style ahead of time, in order to save precious time during an emergency.