HomeMy WebLinkAbout206.018 - Fire Hydrant Program-PoliciesEffective Date: October 2007 Stephanie Andersen, GIS Specialist
Current Revision Date: 07/24/2025 Section 206.018
Next Revision (2) Date: 07/24/2029 Page 1 of 7
Fresno City Fire Department
200 Standard Operating Procedures Manual
SECTION 206.018 FIRE HYDRANT PROGRAM/POLICIES
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to familiarize members with the Fresno Fire Department
(FFD or Department) hydrant management program and hydrant specifications.
APPLICATION
This policy identifies the positions involved in the hydrant management program. It
details how new hydrants are identified in the jurisdiction of the City of Fresno (City).
It also covers various types and features of hydrants.
OPERATIONAL POLICY
It is the policy of the Department to ensure all fire hydrants are in working order. To
that end, annual inspections of hydrants are conducted between September and June
each year. The Department assigns the zones to each fire station. The company
officers at these stations will be responsible for the maintenance of all fire hydrants
located in each assigned zone.
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE
The Department relies almost totally on fire hydrants and the attendant water mains
as sources of water for firefighting purposes. The policies contained herein are based
upon operational necessities and provide a close correlation with available firefighting
resources and procedures.
Spacing and Flow
Standards by which hydrants are required are contained in the Fire Prevention
Manual, Section 403, Development Standards. These standards are modified as
needed. The Department’s Fire Prevention Division (Prevention Division) can provide
the most current standards, as needed.
Effective Date: October 2007 Stephanie Andersen, GIS Specialist
Current Revision Date: 07/24/2025 Section 206.018
Next Revision (2) Date: 07/24/2029 Page 2 of 7
Annexed Areas
Areas annexed into the City may, or may not, contain adequate fire hydrants. The
City does not have any retroactive regulations, which require compliance with current
standards for annexed areas.
There are currently two avenues of approach to remedy the lack of fire hydrants in
these areas:
1. Property owners within the affected areas may, individually or
collectively, provide funding for installation of water mains and fire
hydrants by the water purveyor serving their area.
2. New construction in these areas is subject to current standards for
installation of fire hydrants and required fire flow.
The above requirements have been extremely beneficial in the Department’s efforts
to rectify substandard water supplies. To this end, it is important that company officers
report any absence of the fire hydrants adjacent to new construction projects or to
recently completed projects.
Private Water Districts
Domestic water supply and water for fire protection purposes in the City is provided
by several water purveyors including the City. Each system is generally independent
of the other, except that occasional inter-ties exist between systems for emergency or
supplemental requirements.
There are no retroactive hydrant and fire flow requirements for areas served by other
water purveyors when those areas are annexed to the City. However, new
construction projects are subject to current standards for fire protection and installation
of new fire hydrants and attendant mains are to comply with City standards.
Fire hydrants of private water districts and other water purveyors located within the
City are to be painted the same color(s) as the City’s hydrants.
Private Fire Hydrants
Private fire hydrants are hydrants on private property installed for the protection of
structures on the property. The property owners, or lessees, are responsible for
hydrant maintenance and are to be served with notices of repair when applicable. A
public hydrant is usually differentiated from a private hydrant in that a public hydrant
Effective Date: October 2007 Stephanie Andersen, GIS Specialist
Current Revision Date: 07/24/2025 Section 206.018
Next Revision (2) Date: 07/24/2029 Page 3 of 7
is typically installed immediately adjacent to a public street, with the 4-1/2-inch outlet
positioned toward the street.
Note: There are some exceptions to this general definition. For
instance, easements have been granted in a few of the large
developments for the installation of public water mains and
hydrants to serve the development.
Private hydrants may be supplied with water from the City, other water purveyors, or
on-site private wells. They are to be painted the same as public hydrants.
Hydrant Identification Numbers
Identification numbers are to be stenciled on the hydrants with black paint and
one-inch (1”) stencils. Identification numbers are assigned as follows:
1. Hydrant identification numbers are to consist of seven (7) digits.
2. The first five (5) digits indicate the fire zone in which the hydrant is
located.
3. The last two (2) digits are sequential numbering of the hydrants
within the fire zone. Public hydrants are numbered 01 through 49.
Private hydrants are numbered 50 through 99.
Example: The first private hydrant in Fire Zone 25116 is to be
numbered 2511650.
4. Only the last three (3) digits of the seven-digit hydrant number are to
be stenciled on the barrel of the fire hydrant.
Example: Hydrant 2511650 is to have 650 stenciled on the barrel
with black paint and one-inch (1”) stencils.
New Hydrant Installation
Hydrants located within the City may be installed by private plumbing contractors or
the City’s Public Works Department. In either instance, the hydrant is to be installed
according to City standards. Inspection of new installations is the responsibility of the
Public Works Department for public hydrants or the Development and Resources
Management Department for private hydrants. The Prevention Division works with
these departments to ensure adherence to the standard.
Effective Date: October 2007 Stephanie Andersen, GIS Specialist
Current Revision Date: 07/24/2025 Section 206.018
Next Revision (2) Date: 07/24/2029 Page 4 of 7
The Department is responsible for assigning numbers to new hydrants, entering
hydrant information into the GIS, and ensuring each hydrant is properly painted, and
stenciled. Additionally, new hydrants are given an operational inspection, and fire flow
tests are conducted as necessary.
The following outline describes the required operational procedures upon notice of a
new hydrant installation:
1. The Prevention Division is to obtain and verify the necessary
information and route it to FireGIS Specialist.
a. FireGIS Specialist should request contact/billing information
from Fire’s Finance personnel to create/update the private
hydrant entry in the Hydrant RMS.
2. Upon receipt of information, FireGIS is to:
a. Assign a number to the new hydrant and make the necessary
GIS entry.
b. Forward hydrant information to the company officer
responsible for the corresponding hydrant district for
inspection, painting, and stenciling.
c. Monitor the return of information from the company officer.
Information is to be completed and returned within ten (10)
days.
d. Send completed information to the City’s Public Utilities
Department, Water Division, GIS Team as necessary.
3. Within ten (10) days of receipt of information of a new hydrant from
FireGIS, company officers are to:
a. Inspect the hydrant to determine serviceability, paint, and
stencil it.
b. Enter records for unscheduled maintenance in Field Maps.
c. Return hydrant information which includes the hydrant make,
nearest visible address, side of the street, and location of the
hydrant isolation (gate) valve in whole feet and compass
direction from the hydrant to the FireGIS Specialist.
Additionally, the hydrant make and isolation (gate) valve
location information can be updated in Field Maps.
Effective Date: October 2007 Stephanie Andersen, GIS Specialist
Current Revision Date: 07/24/2025 Section 206.018
Next Revision (2) Date: 07/24/2029 Page 5 of 7
4. Upon discovery of a new hydrant within their hydrant inspection
district, company officers are to:
a. Search the hydrant map on Field Maps to verify a number has
not been issued for the hydrant.
b. Determine if the new hydrant is operational.
c. Notify the FireGIS Specialist of the hydrant type, location,
address, and isolation valve location if applicable, and request
directions for appropriate action.
If the hydrant is not operational upon initial inspection, the FireGIS is to be notified
immediately via email at firegis@fresno.gov and firehydrants@fresno.gov.
Hydrant Specifications
All water mains and fire hydrant installations must meet current City of Fresno
development standards. Special attention should be given to those sections dealing
with specifications for the construction of water mains and the installation of fire
hydrants.
All fire hydrants are to meet or exceed American Water Works Association Standards
and are further outlined in the Fire Prevention Manual, Section 403.003, Fire Hydrant
Spacing and Fire Flow Requirements.
Hydrant Isolation Valves
Previously, all fire hydrants within the City were required to have an isolation valve
installed between the City’s main and the hydrant riser. For a period of time isolation
valves were not required on certain dry barrel type hydrants. Therefore, dry barrel
type hydrants where the operating valve is separate from the hydrant may not have
an isolation valve. The current City standard specifies an isolation valve for every new
hydrant installation.
Wharf hydrants have no isolation valves, as they were in place when the areas served
were annexed to the City, and there is no retroactive requirement for installation of
isolation valves.
Isolation valves, where provided, are to be exercised annually.
Effective Date: October 2007 Stephanie Andersen, GIS Specialist
Current Revision Date: 07/24/2025 Section 206.018
Next Revision (2) Date: 07/24/2029 Page 6 of 7
Hydrants that appear to be in violation of these guidelines are to be brought to the
attention of the hydrant program manager via email to firehydrants@fresno.gov.
Airports
Fresno Yosemite International (FYI) Airport: All hydrants, around and within FYI, are
inspected by the Department.
California Air National Guard (CANG): All hydrants, in and around the CANG, are
inspected by the CANG Fire Department. Contact must be made with CANG’s Fire
Department (559-454-5145) to obtain record of the inspections that were conducted.
Note: FYI and CANG lease property from the City and utilize city water. Both of
these agencies have access and security concerns that require the
Department’s cooperation when inspecting hydrants within their premises.
High Pressure Hydrants
There are a growing number of private hydrants that are pressurized by fire pumps
from 60 PSI through 175 PSI depending on whether they are on the City’s water
system or on a private system. These hydrants are painted entirely blue with
Pantone 288C ordered through supply. Additionally, these hydrants are to be noted
on the hydrant page with the letters “HP” next to the hydrant.
Inspection Procedure
Company Officers are to make contact with the property representative prior to the
inspection to coordinate the inspection with the property representative. Flowing of
High-Pressure Hydrants will activate the fire pump and/or alarm system (SEE:
Standard Operating Procedures Manual, Section 206.019, Fire Hydrant
Maintenance).
Contact the Prevention Division for assistance.
PROCESS
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Effective Date: October 2007 Stephanie Andersen, GIS Specialist
Current Revision Date: 07/24/2025 Section 206.018
Next Revision (2) Date: 07/24/2029 Page 7 of 7
INFORMATION
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DEFINITIONS
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CROSS-REFERENCES
Fire Prevention Manual
Section 403.003, Fire Hydrant Spacing and Fire Flow Requirements
Standard Operating Procedures Manual
Section 206.019, Fire Hydrant Maintenance