Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/9/2019
HOLYOKE – As a result of the recent house fire, Mayor Alex Morse has ordered the city’s fire hydrants be inspected annually instead of every other year.
Morse announced that decision on his Facebook page on Oct. 1: “Yesterday, I had extended conversations with Chief [John] Pond at the Fire Department and David Conti with the Water Department about issues that arose while responding to the fire on Fairfield Avenue. The following is an update on the situation and details on our path forward.
“Chief Pond clarified that the Fire Department's standard procedure is to use the nearest hydrants during their initial response, unless the hydrant is marked as out of service or the Water Department notifies them of work being done in that location. When the closest hydrants are unable to provide the water volume necessary for larger fires they locate the nearest hydrants marked with a white steamer cap, which indicates the hydrant has a minimum output volume of 1,000 gallons a minute, to provide additional water to the fire scene. The Fire Department also uses comprehensive fire incident and risk reduction software capable of tracking all hydrants in the City and their status.
“Dave Conti of the Water Department informed me that fire hydrants are inspected in the city at least once every two years. I have requested, and he has agreed to recommend to the Water Commission, that all fire hydrants be inspected and tested on an annual basis to make sure that the Holyoke Fire Department has the most up to date information on water flow. The Water Department will be re-inspecting all the fire hydrants on Fairfield Avenue beginning this evening after 8 p.m. in order to minimize disruption of water pressure and quality to the residents in the area.
“The limited flow of water is due to the size and age of certain water pipes in the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Replacing these pipes with newer and larger water mains has been a Holyoke Water Works priority for many years. In 2018, my office presented, and the City Council approved, a $13.4 million bond authorization that will allow for the replacement of many of the remaining low-flow pipes identified throughout the city. Fairfield Avenue, along with a number of the adjoining streets in the neighborhood, was included in this authorization.
“In the meantime, I will continue to work with the Fire and Water Departments, and we will develop comprehensive and up to date maps that indicates locations where low water flow has historically been an issue. This will allow first responders to plan ahead in as timely a manner as possible.”