RUSSELL ‘FIRIES’ BUSY CLEARLY IDENTIFYING ISLAND FIRE HYDRANTS
Russell Island Volunteer Fire Fighters are currently moving across the island identifying and clearly marking all island fire hydrants.
The hydrants are in most island streets approximately 50 metres apart.
But due to time, growth and weather, many of them cannot be seen and some are even difficult to find.
It all came to a head when Russell Island volunteer fire fighters went to attend the horrific Todman Street fire on August 6.
They were clearly confronted with a dilemma.
There appeared to be no fire hydrant in the street close to the burning inferno.
Fortunately a neighbour directed them to one further down the street, about 50 metres away.
They soon ‘connected’ and hurled thousands of litres of water onto the blaze involving three homes.
What they didn’t know was that there was a fire hydrant directly out the front of the blazing home.
Unfortunately, it had become overgrown with grass and the attending post, had fallen into the long grass and could not easily be identified.
Later it was found, uncovered and used in the mopping up process.
Some time ago a special program was introduced across the islands called:”ADOPT A HYDRANT”, encouraging residents to actively search, identify and protection fire hydrants that might be in front of their home.
Since the fire tragedy and a recent further house fire on Russell Island, the island volunteer brigade have started a program finding and clearly identifying all the island fire hydrants.
They are clearing them and clearly identifying them in bright yellow paint, with an additional yellow pointer on the roadway as well, all applied with an accompanying spray can.
We came across ‘firies’ Rob Doyle and Matt Guy identifying their latest ‘discovery’ just of Canaipa Road, on Russell Island.
They said they were ‘progressively’ working across the island finding and identifying all hydrants, ‘until we find and identifying all of them’.
And Yes, or volunteer fire fighters continue making a magnificent contribution to our islands!
• Rob Doyle and Matt Guy identifying a hydrant with yellow spray paint.