06-12-07 Fire Hydrant Presentation - Final

Orange County Fire Rescue Department Board of County Commission MeetingFire Hydrants Program

June 12, 2007

History & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsInventory Program & CostsDraft Ordinance & Program CostsCountywide Adequacy & Program Costs OptionsRecommendation

Fire Hydrant Program Discussion

History & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsOn October 10, 2006 Division Chief Thomas Lyon provided an overview of the circumstances surrounding a fatal house fire in the area of Holden Heights.

A private hydrant was non-functional at this incident.Travoti Street FireJanuary 20, 2006

History & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsA total of 33 Water Utility Companies operate within Unincorporated Orange County.

There are approximately 25,000 fire hydrants in Orange County.

There are over 12,000 fire hydrants in unincorporated Orange County.

9,800 Public Hydrants

2,600 Private Hydrants

History & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsPublic HydrantOn public propertyUtility companies are required to test and maintain public hydrants on their system

Private HydrantOn privately owned propertyPrivate owners responsibility to test and maintain

History & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsThe fatal fire prompted Fire Rescue to initiate the inventory program in 2 phases.

Phase One:

To develop a task force to immediately inspect all public and private hydrants in unincorporated Orange County.

To make notifications to all public and private water providers.

History & Florida Statute 633 Requirements

Ensure that all existing fire hydrants in unincorporated Orange County had water and worked correctly.

To have all hydrants found inoperable or without water corrected during this process.

To cross reference the locations of all existing hydrants with our map books.

History & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsPhase Two:

To accurately determine the fixed locations of all public and private hydrants by global positioning system (GPS).

To create a layer in the geographic information system (GIS) to immediately locate hydrants in an emergency situation.

To develop a physical labeling system for the identification of all hydrants.

History & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsTo develop better communication efforts between departments and share information.

To initiate the formal inspection process on private hydrants.

To develop a computer program specifically for hydrant information.

State Law governing the inspection of hydrants

State Statute 633.082

Hydrants added July 01, 2006

Requires Annual Testing and Inspection by licensed contractor or local governments.

Affects both public and private hydrants

History & Florida Statute 633 Requirements

Fire Hydrant Program DiscussionHistory & Florida Statute 633 RequirementsInventory Program & CostsDraft Ordinance & Program CostsCountywide Adequacy & Program Costs OptionsRecommendation

OCFRD Inventory Program & Costs

County staff has made huge strides inPhase I & II of the InventoryProgram.

Fire Rescue has inspected all publicand private hydrants inunincorporated Orange County.

OC Utilities has inspected all publichydrants in their service area.

We have developed a hydrantnumbering system and master file.


Fire Rescue has accurately determined the fixed locations and tagged 30% of all hydrants in unincorporated Orange County by GPS.

The County Utilities Department has input all available hydrant data (public and private) in the GIS system

Fire Rescue has begun the formal inspection process on private hydrants.


County departments and neighboring jurisdictions have developed better communication efforts with regards to hydrants.

Fire Rescue has notified all public and private water providers of their legal responsibilities.


County staff found and had corrected nearly 100 hydrants, which were inoperable or without water.

The Fire Chief has recently put a hold on the hydrant program due to the impending tax reform implications.


The inventory program costs to date have been approximately $360,000 and an additional 5,400 staff hours.

Costs to complete the inventory program would be approximately $800,000 and an additional 14,300 staff hours.

Draft Ordinance & Program CostsState Law governing the inspections of fire hydrants requires annual inspections, but does not provide for enforcement.

County legal staff has developed a draft hydrant ordinance.

Draft Ordinance & Program CostsThe ordinance establishes inspection fees and penalties for hydrant violations, which state law failed to do.

County staff continues to conduct inspections of public and private hydrants.

Orange County Utilities has completed the annual inspections of the public hydrants in its service area.

Draft Ordinance & Program CostsCounty staff has evaluated the staffing and equipment needs to complete and implement the ordinance program.

The approximate costs of implementation of a hydrant ordinance program is estimated to be $500,000.

Countywide Adequacy & Program Costs Adequacy

Are there an adequate number of fire hydrants in unincorporated Orange County?

Countywide Adequacy & Program CostsWhen are hydrants required?

State law requires an approved watersupply capable of supplying the required fire flow for fire protection to all premises.

County Code requires future development to be serviced by a central water system designed and constructed to satisfy the domestic potable, irrigation and fire flow requirements.

Countywide Adequacy & Program CostsWhere are hydrants required?

Within single-family and duplex residential subdivisions, in commercial, multi-family and industrial areas.

Countywide Adequacy & Program CostsWhere hydrants are not required:

When there is no adequate or reliable water distribution system available, the codes and county ordinance allows an alternative source to be used.

Countywide Adequacy & Program CostsThis includes reservoirs, pressure tanks, elevated tanks, WATER TANKER TRUCKS, and other approved systems. In areas that have no hydrants, alternative water supply methods must be used by Orange County Fire Rescue

Countywide Adequacy & Program CostsBased on a study previously conducted bythe Orange County Utilities Department in itsservice area:

Providing adequate water lines and fire hydrants to serve areas on wells and retrofitting existing areas to todays standards would reach amounts of between $500 Million and $1 Billion.

OptionsContinue or terminate:The hydrant inventory program

Completing the GPS locating process, the hydrant numbering system, and the Utilities GIS System @ a cost of $800,000 and 14,300 staff hours.

OptionsContinue or terminate:The hydrant ordinance

Completing the hydrant ordinance, inspections, and enforcement on all public and private hydrants @ a cost of $500,000.

OptionsContinue or terminate:The hydrant adequacy study

Completing the water distribution systems upgrade and the installation of fire hydrants in the unincorporated areas of the county @ a cost of nearly $1 billion.

A more detailed third party study isrecommended prior to implementation ofthe program.

RecommendationTo delay the hydrant program decisionspending the outcome of the tax reform issue.

Orange County Fire Rescue DepartmentBoard of County Commission MeetingFire Hydrants Program

June 12, 2007

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06-12-07 Fire Hydrant Presentation - Final

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