Meaning Of Fire Hydrant Colors
Learn what fire hydrant colors mean, including the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) national recommendations. Discover how fire hydrant color codes help emergency responders make split. It's easy to take fire hydrants for granted and assume that they're all the same.
But there's a code that dictates the colors of their caps and barrels. These colors give us a reasonably accurate picture as to how the hydrant should perform. They are easy to recognize and as fire crews travel the streets performing their various duties, they see these hydrants and get a feel for where the problem areas exist well in advance of a fire alarm being called in.
Fire Hydrant Color Chart
The color of a fire hydrant indicates its water-flow capacity, helping firefighters quickly assess a situation and decide which hydrants to use. Learn the meaning of NFPA fire hydrant color code, why it is is essential, how they improve public fire safety, and why some cities color them uniquely. Fire hydrants will be spread out through most cities.
While they are traditionally red, these days they are also several other colors as well. These colors are significant and tell the fire department a lot about the hydrant. What is a super fire hydrant? Also known as a "high-flow" or "high-capacity" fire hydrant, a super fire hydrant refers to a unit that can: Output a significantly higher amount of water, often exceeding 1,500 GPM.
Harriette Jasper
Maintain a much higher pressure, significantly exceeding the standard 50 - 80 PSI. These fire hydrants are typically installed in high-risk areas, such as densely populated. Understanding Fire Hydrant Color Codes The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides a standard, NFPA 291, for color-coding fire hydrants.
This system primarily uses the color of the hydrant's top or nozzle caps to indicate its water flow capacity in gallons per minute (GPM). What do the different colors mean? Generally, NFPA 291 recommends that the barrel of a fire hydrant be painted yellow. Reflective paint is an additional benefit for emergency responders who need to identify available hydrants at night or in low lighting.
Color Coding Fire Hydrants
If an entire fire hydrant is painted red or yellow, it is either a privately owned hydrant or a public hydrant in a jurisdiction that has.
