NYFD shown but Chicago is similar
Fireplugs are almost always overlooked unless you risk a parking ticket or worse. Dogs love them and on a hot summer day kids use them on to keep cool.
Firefighters wrestle with frozen hydrants during the cold Chicago winter.
They come in a variety of sizes shapes and colors. There are dry barrel hydrants in cold winter areas, and the wet barrel “California” can be found in warmer climates. There are “traffic hydrants” designed to break off on impact without damaging the main valve.
A broken hydrant can cause a geyser.
They call it a fire hydrant, a fireplug, or back in the day even a firecock or “Johnny Pump”.
Fireplugs date back when firefighters would drill holes in wooden street mains made from hollowed out logs. After the fire, they stopped each hole with a wooden plug hence the name fireplug. They marked the location in case the plug was needed again.
Continue reading “Send the water!”
Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries 