Allowed to Use Hydrant Across 2-Lane Highway?

3/9/2023

When a building is 84-feet from an existing public fire hydrant located across a 2-lane 45mph roadway, can we assume it is standard practice to use it in an event of a fire?

Or would the owner be required to add a personal-use fire hydrant or water storage device on their side of the road?

In the latter case, how far would the fire hydrant have to be placed from the building?

Thanks in advance.

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10 Comments

Glenn Berger

3/9/2023 08:06:47 am

Unless the AHJ says anything to the contrary, I see no reason why the hydrant across the street cannot be used in case of a fire emergency.

Scott McBride

3/9/2023 08:17:46 am

The code and standards require that the hydrant has to be no more than 100' from the location of the FDC not the building. Unless the AHJ has added an amendment to change that distance.

Dale

3/9/2023 08:26:01 am

NFPA 24 is your resource for Fire Hydrants. In the 2016 edition (which is what is in use in my area), hyrdrants are supposed to be located within 40 feet from a building (7.2.3). If they can't be located within 40 feet, then hydrants are permitted to be used where approved the AHJ. I had a project many years ago, where the nearest hydrant was more than 40 feet away. The Fire Chief made the client add a Hydrant to the project (we were doing some renovation in an existing space, along with a new addition to the existing building). "Too much hose" is what he told me. Hope they are OK with the one you got.

3/9/2023 08:47:18 am

40 ft. is the minimum distance, not the maximum distance per NFPA 24:7.2.3. The "intent" of the code is for the clearance to be at least greater than the height of the building facing wall, known as the "collapse zone". (I believe the IFC establishes this distance as 1.5 times the building height.)
NFPA 1:18.5 is the chapter and section for hydrant spacing from buildings and other hydrants, if your JD is an "NFPA state". Also reference NFPA 1141 chapters 8 and 9 for additional requirements not found in NFPA 1, where applicable.

3/9/2023 08:36:24 am

I tried posting this from my email, so I apologize if it shows up twice. I can't see it.

The answer has to do with traffic management, and how many trips per day that road section has. Check with your jurisdiction's P&Z requirements, as well as your adopted fire code and ordinances.
Here is the minimum requirement in NFPA 1:18.5.1.5:
"Where fire department access roads are provided with
median dividers incapable of being crossed by fire apparatus, or
where fire department access roads have traffic counts of more
than 30,000 vehicles per day, hydrants shall be placed on both
sides of the fire department access road on an alternating basis, and the distances specified by Section 18.5 shall be measured independently of the hydrants on the opposite side of the fire department access road."

Brian Cockburn

3/9/2023 09:47:30 am

This should be fine unless the AHJ says otherwise. The Fire Department (along with police) would block the road while the fire is dealt with.

Anthony

3/14/2023 09:02:30 am

This.

Mike M link

3/9/2023 10:10:17 am

JH beat me to it and has it exactly correct.
Not sure if I understand if the ahj is requiring an additional hydrant for existing building or the existing building is going through a major renovation.
Also you cannot always depend on the availability of police to stop traffic or pull firefighter resources to direct traffic.

3/9/2023 12:25:35 pm

Very true. We recently had a project that, even though there was an existing hydrant within the specified distances, using it under normal circumstances would have paralyzed fireground operations and impeded occupant evacuation as well as blocked ingress/egress from neighboring business. A new hydrant was ultimately installed to serve the new project.

Alex

3/16/2023 06:15:39 am

This is one of the situations where it’s allowed, but if possible, I would avoid it.

Being a fire fighter myself, I would not want to be the first (or second typically) arriving engine on scene in charge of tapping a hydrant across a few lanes of traffic. Police may still be setting up their detail and there may still be cars driving past an already chaotic scene.

Depending on number of hose lines flowing and or a deck gun, getting to an available water supply quickly is extremely important. Of course, after the police detail is set up, this concern is mitigated. If you due only keep the single hydrant, I would work on ensuring the AHJ sets up a pre incident plan with police.

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Allowed to Use Hydrant Across 2-Lane Highway?

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