Dry Fire Hydrants

Dry hydrant at Locust Lake along LC Larson

Dry hydrant at Pilgrim Lake

Dry hydrant at Pines Lake near the canoe racks

DRY FIRE HYDRANTS? They’re Here at LLV If We Need Them

By Fran Odyniec, Editor emeritus

Ever notice those stout white pipes protruding horizontally from Locust, Pilgrim, and Pines lakes, either near a boat launch or a parking area? Are they air vents for the fish? Are they control valves for lake levels? How about fire hydrants, dry fire hydrants to be exact. They form a crucial part of Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company’s (TTVFC) fire response efforts for rural or mountain communities like Locust Lake Village. “When they work, they work well,” said Troy Counterman, TTVFC’s fire chief at the company’s headquarters on Rt. 940 in Pocono Pines. “They are a lifesaver because we can tap a lot of water real quick.” Unlike metropolitan areas, many Pocono Mountain communities do not have traditional fire hydrants to provide rapid access to water. This is where dry hydrants come into play. A dry hydrant is located near a sizeable source of water such as lakes, ponds, or swimming pools. It consists of Schedule 40 PVC white 6-inch pipe that can be connected to the 6-inch intake valve on a fire company’s tanker truck.

The dry hydrant’s pipe is not pressurized and is permanently installed so that the pipe’s one end stretches into the water to a depth of four feet below the water level of, for example, Locust Lake. A strainer attached to the submerged end serves to keep the pipe free of debris. According to FireHoseDirect.com, when a tanker or engine attaches to a dry hydrant, it begins to draft water from the lake by vacuuming air out of the hydrant, its hard sleeve, and the engine’s pump

Photos by Fran Odyniec

with a primer. With lower pressure at the tanker’s pump intake, atmospheric pressure on the water and the weight of the water force water into the part of the hydrant that is above water, into the hard sleeve and finally into the tanker. Tobyhanna Township Volunteer Fire Company Chief Tory Counterman reviews inspection procedures for the intake valve on the company›s “Initially, we can rescue engine with Firefighter ETM Robert McGrath. bring 7,000 gallons of water to a fire with our trucks (a tanker, a rescue engine, and a ladder truck),” said Counterman. But as TTVFC Firefighter and EMT Robert McGrath pointed out, “It’s a different world up here.”

When conditions at a fire scene demand more water, TTVFC’s trucks will dump their water into a portable pond set up at the scene from which to draw water. The tanker then immediately heads for a dry hydrant to refill its water tank and begin to shuttle back and forth from the scene to the hydrant for more water. In the spirit of mutual aid, a neighboring fire company, if requested, will send its tanker to help attack a fire. For example, as many as 20 fire companies including TTVFC fought the fire that consumed the 117-year-old Pocono Manor Resort on Route 314 in Mt. Pocono on Nov. 1, 2019. More than 100 firefighters battled the windswept blaze for almost two days with support from 80 to 100 tankers that shuttled between dry hydrants and the fire scene. “We had set up multiple ponds,” said Counterman, “so that the tankers could drop (fill) four ponds at a time.”

We Are Open & Ready to Help!

“More Effective, Affordable, People & Pet Friendly”                    

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL

$25 OFF * GENERAL PESTS: SPIDERS, ROACHES, MICE, FLIES, & BED BUGS *Cannot be combined with any other offer. Special discount for new customers only.

PA Game Commission & Department of Agriculture Cer�fied

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

John R. Smith, Jr.

YEARLY SERVICE PLANS INCLUDE: Rodent Proofing, Termite Preven�on, Mosquito Barriers & More! 570.851.4863 greenmanexterminator@yahoo.com

Dry hydrants are a definite advantage for firefighters, Counterman said. “In our coverage area which includes communities like Locust Lake Village, there are 20 dry hydrants. We know where they are through GPS.” He said that it’s up to developments to make the choice regarding dry hydrants. “They come to us and we will work with them to measure water depth and to find the best location for a dry hydrant. A minimum depth of four feet is preferred.”

Maintenance of dry hydrants is left up to a community but TTVFC will assist. “They should be operable at all times,” said McGrath. “It’s a matter of getting water to the vehicle, and run as many times as you want.”

In addition to TTVFC’s headquarters station, it maintains a satellite station in Blakeslee that is home to a tanker, a rescue utility engine, and a pumper. To report a fire call 9-1-1. For information on fire prevention, call TTVFC at 570-646-9133.