by Diana Lucio
Published: Wed, November 12, 2008 - 5:12 pm CST
Last Updated: Wed, November 12, 2008 - 10:36 pm CST
We've seen the images before. Blaring sirens and flashing lights as fire fighters rush to the scene of a flaming fire. Every passing second can mean the difference between life and death. The one thing firefighters don't need is a fire hydrant that doesn't work."If a fire hydrant is broke or messed up than we've got to look for the next nearest hydrant which means it's going to be that much further away. So it's really important for us to have a good supply of water and those hydrants all in working condition,"Said Steve Huffman with the Mobile Fire Department.Fire department Spokesman Steve Huffman says while firetrucks are equipped with 300 to 500 gallons of water, they rely on fire hydrants in case they need to use an underground water supply. In the R.V. Taylor Housing complex vandals have made some fire hydrants useless.
"We've had cases where they've just about took it apart, the whole hydrant and that becomes a problem for us. We don't see that unfortunately until we get on the scene of a working fire,"Said Huffman.
All fire hydrants are inspected once a year. During a recent inspection at R.V. Taylor, Fire Station11 spotted about a dozen fire hydrants missing caps and one that fire station 11 inspectors say doesn't work. Living near one of those fire hydrant makes Earl Deloach worried.
"If something was to happen then they probably have to go way down the street or something because i don't see none no where else to where they could hook up to get to my house in time,"Said Deloach.
So who is responsible for making sure all fire hydrants work? Inspectors say it's Mobile Area Water and Sewer Service. They told me they are responsible for the fire hydrants, but only those just outside of the housing complex. MAWSS says these fire hydrants are maintained by the Mobile Housing Board. That agency refused to talk to us. Vandals hoping to make some quick cash steal the fire hydrant caps to sell as scrap metal, making them difficult to maintain.
"You know three caps missing two caps missing whatever it is. But when we talked to the guy that runs the Housing Board, he goes well what do you want us to do? They steal them every time we put them on,"Said Firefighters with Station 11.
Since we started this story, the Mobile Housing Board has replaced caps on fire hydrants. But that's just part of the problem, the fire department says it's only a matter of time until vandals take these caps again.
One woman who lives at R.V. Taylor didn't want us to show her face, but says the Housing Board isn't doing their job.
"They don't do nothing around here with the maintenance. I mean you see them every once in a while and that's it. It's almost like because if you're in government housing they don't want to do anything." Tenants at R.V. Taylor say they don't care who fixes the fire hydrants as long as it's taken care of before it's too late.
Mobile Fire tells News Five after they inspect the fire hydrants they report any problems to the Mobile Area Water and Sewer Service.
MAWSS says although they are a liason during the inspections, it's the Mobile Housing Board's responsibility to make repairs to hydrants at the R.V.Taylor Housing complex. Mobile Fire says you can help report vandals by calling CrimeStoppers at 208-7000.
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