Inspecting Hydrants Top Priority for Fire Department

Sandy Springs needs legislation that would require hydrants on private property to be regularly inspected, according to Fire Rescue Chief Jack McElfish.

During a report to City Council members at the FY2012 Budget Workshop, this week, McElfish said fire hydrants at apartment complexes must be inspected before owners renew their business licenses. 

“Private hydrants in condo or private developments, they don’t have to,” he added. “So we are working on legislation that would take care of that.”

In April, firefighters found a hydrant inoperable when they tried to open it to battle an afternoon blaze at Winding River Village condominiums. That day, Deputy Chief Jeff Scarbrough told Patch, “It did slow us down, but I have no way of knowing how much. We were already letting out a second line.”

All units in a building were destroyed. The fire started when a resident, who was cooking, walked away from the stove, Scarbrough said.

Later that week four hydrants in the condo community were repaired through Watershed Managment, a department of the City of Atlanta.

Hydrants in the community were not on the inspection map, said Eric Moseley, operations manager for AMFLOW - American Flow Services, which inspects fire hydrants for the City of Sandy Springs.

Following inspections, they are to report problems to the City of Atlanta, which makes the repairs.

“It’s a very safe [city], but again, we have our challenges,” McElfish told Council members, adding that Sandy Springs Fire Rescue plans to be proactive.

The Chief raised a separate issue with the 60 high rise buildings in the City of Sandy Springs. More than half do not have complete sprinkler systems.