Water Supply
Obviously, sufficient water supply for fire suppression services is a very critical component to the overall fire suppression capabilities of a community. Typically, rural areas do not have the necessary infrastructure to support "urban type" water delivery systems. Where fire hydrants exist, they are typically on smaller water lines with relatively low flow capacity and are generally spaced quite some distance apart. As a result, fire departments such as the Boone County Fire Protection District with large rural areas within their protection areas must rely on alternate means of providing adequate fire flow during fire suppression activities.

Boone County is fortunate that, due to progressive attitudes on the part of the Boone County Fire District, Boone County Commission and many of the rural water districts, the prevalence of fire hydrants throughout the community is increasing.

Fire Hydrants

Interspersed throughout Boone County are a number of fire hydrants along various roadways. Many of these hydrants, particularly those that have been installed for a number of years, are what are commonly called "flush hydrants". These were installed, primarily, to allow the water districts to flush sediment and deposits from their water lines and are not necessarily on large enough water mains or of sufficient pressure to adequately support fire suppression activities. They can however, from time to time, be used to augment firefighting operations or may be used as fill hydrants during tanker shuttle operations.


An integral part of successful fire prevention is the support of the local public water districts.
In recent years, several of the rural water districts in Boone County have made a concerted effort to increase and enhance their fire flow capabilities. They have increased water main size, storage capacity and installed more fire hydrants throughout their various districts in areas of heavy population where the Fire District might use direct water application or in more rural areas where Fire District tankers may have need to fill quickly during shuttle operations.

Additionally, the Boone County Commission, through its Planning and Protective Inspections Department, now requires subdivisions being developed in Boone County to install adequate water mains and fire hydrants of appropriate size and with appropriate spacing to provide proper fire protection capabilities onsite in these new developments. Over the next few years, these enhancements will obviously have a significant effect on the Fire District’s ability to combat fires and may also, potentially, have an impact on reducing fire insurance premiums.

Tanker Shuttle

As a result of the lack a comprehensive network of fire hydrants in Boone County, the Fire Protection District has developed a tanker shuttle system using a fleet of tankers, each of which carry 1,500 gallons of water. These tankers are specifically designed to allow for a "quick dump" capability at the site of a fire. A tanker can off-load 1500 gallons of water in less than 60 seconds. These tankers respond to the scene of a structure fire and quickly dump their water into a collapsible tank that is carried on Fire District apparatus. This allows the tanker to off load its water supply into this portable tank and return to a water source to refill while the engine company at the scene of the fire uses water, as needed, from the collapsible tank. Using a fleet of these tankers with this type of dump time, the Fire District can deliver large volumes of fire suppression water for an extended period of time. Obviously, the variables that will dictate the final outcome of water supply are distance to fire hydrants for refill, water main capacity at fill sites and road conditions.

Subdivision Regulations

Under the guidelines of the Boone County Planning and Protective Inspection Department, new developments in Boone County are required to install adequate water mains and fire hydrants to meet the growing needs and demands for fire protection in new areas of development. Present standards call for water mains in new developments to be no smaller than 6" in diameter and fire hydrants (6") shall be spaced no farther apart than 500 feet in residential areas and 300 feet in commercial areas. Developers submit subdivision plats to the County Planning and Protective Inspection Department with the proposed fire hydrant locations shown. In consultation with Boone County Fire District staff, the Planning and Protective Inspection staff will approve or direct adjustments for the developer prior to construction.

Dry Hydrants

In areas of the county where adequate fire flow is nonexistent, some property owners have installed what are commonly called "dry hydrants". These are hydrant systems installed into static water sources such as lakes or ponds. If all weather access is provided to these hydrants, the Fire District can place a fire engine at the hydrant and, using a vacuum principle, draw water from the static water source. Engineering and design information is available from the Community Services Bureau of the Boone County Fire Protection District. This information is also made available through the Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), the USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) and the University of Missouri Extension Division.
Fire Flow Calculations

Engineering models have been researched and created that can allow fire department to calculate required fire flow (water flow) given certain construction parameters such as size of building, type of construction, internal fire protection systems, etc. Developers may contact the Fire District for assistance in claculating required fire flows.

 

®2010 Boone County Fire Protection District, Columbia, Missouri