Newsflash: This Doesn’t Always Happen With New York Fire Hydrants

I've been on this earth for quite some time, celebrating a fairly large birthday milestone last October, and this week I discovered that for a majority of my lifetime i've been worrying myself over somewhat of a myth.

Welcome to a little lesson in fire hydrants, adulting at its finest.

Get our free mobile app

Background: My Wappingers Falls Driveway Fire Hydrant

When I bought my current house in Wappingers Falls back in 2018 there was one thing that made question putting an offer in; it wasn't a weird cabinet in the kitchen, or the configuration of a bathroom, or even the fact that the basement was spooky (and complete with cave crickets) - there's a fire hydrant at the bottom of my driveway.

Now, your average person probably wouldn't see this as an issue, but for me, someone who isn't the best at maneuvering my car in reverse (yes even with the back up camera), the placement of this fire hydrant always scared me.

Why?

Because in the movies, you get the impression that if your car (or something else strong enough to knock this thing over) comes in contact with the hydrant, you get a powerful fountain of strong-pressured water that shoots 200 feet into the air. Kind of like this...

For six years I have carefully pulled in and out of my driveway (ok, sometimes I come in a little hot on two wheels), avoiding direct contact with the hydrant, and even put up some of those reflectors to alert visitors and those passing by of this not so great location. I have been responsible for clearing a path to the hydrant during snow storms so that the fire department has clear access in the event of an emergency.

Direct Contact....

Fast forward to Memorial Day, i'm at the radio station when I get a text from the neighbor alerting me that the internet company truck was parked in my driveway servicing their property - no problem. Not long after, a second message came through letting me know 'the guy hit your hydrant, check your cameras.'

Now, I have two cameras on my house, one over the garage, one at the front door, and for some odd reason, neither picked up any activity at the end of the driveway, but when I went to live view, there it was, my hydrant in all its glory, laying down.

RIP, ol' friend.

There was a little part of me that was underwhelmed - where was the gushing water, the neighborhood kids all running around playing like it was a sprinkler, the neighborhood group chat blowing up? But alas, none of that happened, as not a droplet of water came out as a result of the great fall of the popular 'base' for an old fashioned game of tag.

What Happens When Your Hydrant Gets Knocked Down?

My neighbor contacted the company, and the driver came back saying that they had alerted the town. By the time I got home from my show, there was a little blue flag labeled water where my hydrant once stood...

By Tuesday night the hydrant was back up, like nothing ever happened.

A simple google search has debunked the theory that most of us likely have about the risk of knocking down a hydrant, that it doesn't always mean a geyser into the air. According to firehydrant.org (yep, real website), most of the hydrants in the eastern US are classified as 'barrel type' which means they are built to break if hit by something, and they won't flood the area. These are a newer type of hydrant rather than the older model that gush water like the ones commonly found in California, known as wet barrel type that you would see a geyser as a result of a hit. I also discovered that some hydrants have flapper valves that will shut, preventing water if direct contact is made.

I'm kind of a pro on this topic now.

My research also informed me that if you do find yourself in a situation where you've hit a hydrant, kinda sorta like if you hit a mailbox, you could be responsible for damages.

So, moral of the story: no gushing water 200 feet in the air, yes to paying for damages, probably a hefty repair bill for the damage to your vehicle...guess I should continue my quest to avoid contact with the hydrant...lesson learned.

In keeping with the whole adulting theme, how about some promising news from a local grocery store: