Comments on: Black hydrants and unintended consequences

By: Tiddo

Tiddo — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:19:46 +0000

Why in hell are there fire hydrants that don’t work?

I think if I was a taxpayer in Texas, I’d want all the fire hydrants to work properly. And perhaps an explanation as to why some don’t.

By: Ted

Ted — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:06:11 +0000

Mike: if I fail to paint a hydrant black that should’ve been painted black, I may get sued if, as a result, the fire department’s response is delayed finding a working hydrant.

But if I mistakenly paint a working hydrant black, no one sues me.

My incentives are therefore to err on the side of painting too many hydrants black.

By: Gerard M. Delaney

Gerard M. Delaney — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:44:50 +0000

What will be the effect on home insurance once the ISO (Insurance Services Office) learns that the utility admits that the nearest hydrant (in fact, any hydrant), is unusable? Can you say “Through the roof?”

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:49:29 +0000

Maybe I’m being a bit dense but how does painting all of the hydrants black reduce your liability?

By: TC

TC — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:30:11 +0000

Paint em black, making the statement that your city can’t provide fire protection even though you pay taxes for a full time fire dept.

Talk about inviting litigation?

Paint em blue and put a hose bib on them!

By: Don

Don — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:26:56 +0000

Jeff… I believe you mean the motorists hitting the invisible hydrant because they were driving on the sidewalk in an attempt to evade the police after shooting some one while committing a robbery.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:45:39 +0000

Not to mention the lawsuits that will happen after motorists hit the now invisible fire hydrants at nights.

By: Tom T.

Tom T. — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:26:09 +0000

Liability to whom?