After a short walk around town the other day, I noticed something odd: there are these unusually-shaped, painted metal mechanical objects sprouting out of the sidewalk every so often. I call them “mechanical,” because I can see that part of their design usually includes two or three very large bolts, two on the end of what look like muzzles, and one on the dome-like top of this device.
Upon later asking an acquaintance, Sam, about these objects, I was told that they are “fireplugs.” When he saw my quizzical expression, he added, “Actually, the formal name for them is “fire hydrants.”
So I inquired, “What is a fire hydrant? And is there any significance to the fact that some are red, some are silver, some are yellow, and some even have unique designs painted on them? I saw one that looked like a cartoon character whose name is Snoopy, I’m told.”
So Sam went into greater detail. “Underneath the streets, there is a whole network of pipes that connect each one of those hydrants to the city water supply. And whenever there is a fire, the hydrants are then connected to long hoses, which are used to douse the building that’s on fire.”
Ben: “You mean you don’t have to truck water in by horse-drawn wagon anymore?”
Sam: “Horse-drawn wagons are a real thing of the past. But occasionally, the fire may be in some outlying area where there aren’t hydrants, and then, yes, pumper trucks are brought in with their own water supply.”
Ben: “Now, that is impressive! It must have taken quite a lot of work to dig up the streets and place all that plumbing there in an organized fashion so that this system functions as planned. But tell me more about these trucks.”
Sam: “I suppose you mean the fire trucks, the hook-and-ladders…”
Ben: “Hook and what?”
Sam: “C’mon, Ben, I’m sure you used hooks back in your time.”
Ben: “Yes, we had hooks, also called pike poles, which we used to pull apart structures in the process of fighting the fire. But I’ve never heard of a ‘hook-and-ladder.’”
Sam: “With so many tall buildings these days, someone invented a fire truck that had extremely long ladders built in, so the firefighters could climb them to reach the roof or the upper stories with their hoses.”
Ben: “That is ingenious! But what about the shorter buildings? Wouldn’t the long ladders overshoot their mark?”
Sam: “It would seem that way. But the ladders are actually a set length, and they extend further, depending on how tall the building is. If it’s a small building, they probably won’t need to extend the ladder much at all.”
Upon later asking an acquaintance, Sam, about these objects, I was told that they are “fireplugs.” When he saw my quizzical expression, he added, “Actually, the formal name for them is “fire hydrants.”
So I inquired, “What is a fire hydrant? And is there any significance to the fact that some are red, some are silver, some are yellow, and some even have unique designs painted on them? I saw one that looked like a cartoon character whose name is Snoopy, I’m told.”
So Sam went into greater detail. “Underneath the streets, there is a whole network of pipes that connect each one of those hydrants to the city water supply. And whenever there is a fire, the hydrants are then connected to long hoses, which are used to douse the building that’s on fire.”
Ben: “You mean you don’t have to truck water in by horse-drawn wagon anymore?”
Sam: “Horse-drawn wagons are a real thing of the past. But occasionally, the fire may be in some outlying area where there aren’t hydrants, and then, yes, pumper trucks are brought in with their own water supply.”
Ben: “Now, that is impressive! It must have taken quite a lot of work to dig up the streets and place all that plumbing there in an organized fashion so that this system functions as planned. But tell me more about these trucks.”
Sam: “I suppose you mean the fire trucks, the hook-and-ladders…”
Ben: “Hook and what?”
Sam: “C’mon, Ben, I’m sure you used hooks back in your time.”
Ben: “Yes, we had hooks, also called pike poles, which we used to pull apart structures in the process of fighting the fire. But I’ve never heard of a ‘hook-and-ladder.’”
Sam: “With so many tall buildings these days, someone invented a fire truck that had extremely long ladders built in, so the firefighters could climb them to reach the roof or the upper stories with their hoses.”
Ben: “That is ingenious! But what about the shorter buildings? Wouldn’t the long ladders overshoot their mark?”
Sam: “It would seem that way. But the ladders are actually a set length, and they extend further, depending on how tall the building is. If it’s a small building, they probably won’t need to extend the ladder much at all.”
Ben: “If only we had devices like these in the 1700s! When I organized Philadelphia’s first volunteer fire fighting brigade in 1736, we didn’t have a lot of mechanical help like that. But I suppose you now have even more miraculous technologies than that.”
Sam: “True. When there are forest fires, since there aren’t any fire hydrants around, we have airplanes that fly over the fire and dump special firefighting chemicals to put out the flames.”
Ben: “And what about fire prevention? Are there devices that stop a fire from starting?”
Sam: “Well, not exactly, unless you’re talking about special clothing or other materials that is made in such a way so that it resists catching fire.”
Ben: “I was thinking more of some kind of invention that would detect the start of a fire and put it out before it became serious. I might be able to come up with some kind of a device like that….”
Sam: “They already beat you to it, Ben. We have smoke detectors, automatic sprinkler systems, whole-building alarm systems, and even remote monitoring services that can keep an eye on your building from across town, or across the country.”
Ben: “But then, how would they be able to warn the local fire brigade?”
Sam: “Telephone, Ben. Or maybe even a direct digital link that alerts the local fire department computers.”
Ben: “Oh, I’d forgotten about that. We didn’t have telephones in my day. It was usually word of mouth – some concerned citizen who ran down the street, yelling loudly to rouse all the neighbors from their sleep.”
Sam: “We have fire alarms and sirens that do that now, Ben.”
Ben: “Well, I must say, I am absolutely astounded by all this new fire fighting technology.”
Sam: “Believe me, what I just told you only scratches the surface. There’s so much more than even that. Like EMS crews, communications equipment, advanced protective gear, etc. So do you want to put on your old firefighter’s uniform again, Ben?”
Ben: “I fear that this 308-year-old man would no longer be in such great shape to handle the challenges of answering a fire alarm. Although, I could possibly enjoy a ride up to the top of a hook-and-ladder….”
Fireman Sam: “Up, up, and away!”
Ben: “Should I fasten my seat belt?”
Sam: “True. When there are forest fires, since there aren’t any fire hydrants around, we have airplanes that fly over the fire and dump special firefighting chemicals to put out the flames.”
Ben: “And what about fire prevention? Are there devices that stop a fire from starting?”
Sam: “Well, not exactly, unless you’re talking about special clothing or other materials that is made in such a way so that it resists catching fire.”
Ben: “I was thinking more of some kind of invention that would detect the start of a fire and put it out before it became serious. I might be able to come up with some kind of a device like that….”
Sam: “They already beat you to it, Ben. We have smoke detectors, automatic sprinkler systems, whole-building alarm systems, and even remote monitoring services that can keep an eye on your building from across town, or across the country.”
Ben: “But then, how would they be able to warn the local fire brigade?”
Sam: “Telephone, Ben. Or maybe even a direct digital link that alerts the local fire department computers.”
Ben: “Oh, I’d forgotten about that. We didn’t have telephones in my day. It was usually word of mouth – some concerned citizen who ran down the street, yelling loudly to rouse all the neighbors from their sleep.”
Sam: “We have fire alarms and sirens that do that now, Ben.”
Ben: “Well, I must say, I am absolutely astounded by all this new fire fighting technology.”
Sam: “Believe me, what I just told you only scratches the surface. There’s so much more than even that. Like EMS crews, communications equipment, advanced protective gear, etc. So do you want to put on your old firefighter’s uniform again, Ben?”
Ben: “I fear that this 308-year-old man would no longer be in such great shape to handle the challenges of answering a fire alarm. Although, I could possibly enjoy a ride up to the top of a hook-and-ladder….”
Fireman Sam: “Up, up, and away!”
Ben: “Should I fasten my seat belt?”