Barbara Kerby, customer service representative with FGUA shows where workers have raised a fire hydrant on Lee Blvd. from an area of tall grass. Workers also have installed 100 reflectors at locations in Lehigh so firefighters can easily spot fire hydrants at night or when visibility is low due to heavy smoke. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Those new small blue reflectors that motorists are seeing throughout Lehigh have recently been installed to make it easier for fire crews in trucks to spot hydrants at night or in smoky conditions, according to Barbara Kerby, customer service representative with Florida Governmental Utility Authority.

She said there are blue reflectors in the roadways at 100 locations, some near schools and others in areas like Lee Blvd. and Homestead Rd. FGUA owns 946 fire hydrants in the community, Kerby said.

The reflectors will make it much easier now for firefighters to locate hydrants immediately which can save time to get their apparatus ready to fight a fire with hoses hooked up the a hydrant, Kerby said.

Installing them hasn’t been easy, however, since they couldn’t be installed during rainy days or in extreme heat or cold temperatures so Kerby said the project was done in phases to coincide with Lehigh’s weather conditions and often during times when the least amount of traffic was being disrupted.

The hydrants owned by FGUA are also tested and cleaned at least once a year and get a new yellow paint job when needed.

She explained that the blue reflectors are attached to the roadway at the point several feet from the fire hydrant.

Kerby also said that the project included locating hydrants that have been partially buried in landscaping or located below the road level.

“Much of the work was done in April which is historically when there is the least amount of rainfall,” Kerby said.

There are other fire hydrants, not owned by FGUA, that are located at commercial or public properties which are privately owned. Kerby said these hydrants must also be tested and maintained by the hydrant’s owner each year.

“When these are privately inspected, a certificate of the inspection is provided to the fire marshal. Any licensed plumber should be able to provide the inspection,” Kerby said.

By the end of April, there have been more than 85 grass, brush, or woodland fires and 29 house fires in Lehigh during 2911. She said the latest report from the South Florida Water Management District shows rain is still below normal for this year even though the area has had rain recently, mainly brief showers. It often rains in some areas of Lehigh and not in other areas.

Kerby has some advice for homeowners.

She said they can help minimize the fire dangers at their property by making sure all garbage is properly disposed of, especially flammable items.

“Don’t burn garbage or yard waste and never throw out a cigarette on the dry ground. Make sure it is fully extinguished and disposed of in a non-flammable container,” she said.

With the rain season almost upon us with its storms, lightning can often ignite an area of dry vegetation.

Kerby warns homeowners to trim away brush from their homes and buildings . This means mowing the lawn, trimming tree branches away from the roof and wooden fencing and maintaining a plant free zone next to the building walls. Pine needles and leaves should be removed from gutters that run around a house and those that are settled in where roofs dip. If a spark should hit dry pine needles, a fire can start.

Kerby said that by irrigating the landscaping will keep plants from burning as quickly.

She noted that county law sets the days and times twice a week that residents can water their lawns.

Odd number property addresses may water on Wednesday and Saturday. Even numbered property address, parcels without a property address, or systems that irrigate multiple units may water on Thursdays and Sundays.

Kerby noted that no irrigation is allowed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and those that break the watering laws can be fined by law enforcement.

The 100 reflectors were donated by Severn Trent, the contact operator for FGUA. Kerby said they had not been a budgeted item for FGUA since they were doanted.

“When firefighters report to heavy smoky areas or at night, these blue reflectors are going to help make their jobs easier than having to search for hydrants,” Kerby said.