Fire hydrants are distributed in the streets and alleys, which usually do not attract attention, but they can provide "water of life" in times of crisis and build a "firewall" of the city. Banyuetan reporters recently investigated in many places and learned that the fire hydrant, which is a key facility for fire extinguishing, has been repeatedly "injured", resulting in the risk of being unable to save the fire near the water.
In some places, fire hydrants have not been built and cannot be used
Recently, a fire safety accident in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province has aroused social concern. According to the local report, after a preliminary investigation, the cause of the fire was caused by fireworks and firecrackers, sparks splashed into the room and ignited debris, and the fire hydrant was found to be unable to be used normally due to the lack of hose interface during the rescue process.
Banyuetan reporters combed and found that fire hydrants were blocked in some places and there was no water available, which made it difficult to rescue after the fire broke out, resulting in tragedy. In February, a fire broke out in a small community in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, killing 15 people and injuring 44. According to media investigations, some of the fire hydrants at the site of the fire were blocked by parked bicycles or installed in the elevator lobby far from the risk of fire. At the beginning of 2022, a fire broke out in a high-rise building in a small community in Jiangxi, killing three people and injuring one. The fire department found that before the fire, due to the leakage of the roof water tank, the property company closed the relevant gate valves, resulting in no water in the indoor fire hydrant at the beginning of the rescue.
Recently, many places across the country have carried out centralized fire safety removal and rectification actions. Of the 12 units publicly notified in Hebei, 4 have fire hydrant problems, and 6 units in Yunnan and 8 units in Jiangxi have similar problems, accounting for a relatively large proportion of the publicly notified units.
Banyuetan reporter interviewed and learned that in August 2023, a certain place will inspect the fire protection facilities of 25 high-rise buildings in the county. The results show that the fire protection facilities in the high-rise buildings of the county's residential communities are seriously damaged, the intact rate is less than 10%, and there are common problems such as indoor fire hydrants without water.
Not only indoor fire hydrants, but also roadside municipal fire hydrants also have problems such as lagging construction and historical debts. Banyuetan reporter looked at the construction ledger of municipal fire hydrants in a prefecture-level city, and the inspection data at the end of last year showed that the completion rate of some counties and districts was less than 50 percent, and the intact rate of municipal fire hydrants in individual counties and districts was only 54 percent.
Triple plugging points block the "water outlet"
There is a "golden time" for fire fighting, and once the opportunity is missed due to the search for water sources, the difficulty of fighting will increase dramatically. Banyuetan reporter investigation learned that in the process of construction, management and use of fire hydrants in some places, there are problems such as disconnection between construction and management, unsettled historical debts, and difficulties in dynamic supervision of multiple points and wide areas.
- If it is built, it cannot be managed, and if it is managed, it cannot be used. The mainland fire protection law has requirements for the construction and use of municipal fire hydrants, but the practice varies from place to place. "Municipal fire hydrants are standard, and they should be designed and planned at the same time as the road, but in some places, 'get on the bus first and pay the ticket later'. Yang Meng, director of the legal department of the Nanchang Fire and Rescue Detachment in Jiangxi Province, said that "zipper construction" not only increases costs, but also is prone to potential safety hazards.
At the same time, there is also a separation of fire hydrant construction and management at the grassroots level. Xiao Zhiqiang, general manager of Jiangxi Ji'an Water Group Co., Ltd., said that most of the daily management of municipal fire hydrants is the responsibility of local water companies, but when bidding for new fire hydrant projects, it is not possible to ensure that water companies can win the bid. Banyuetan reporter found that a county water company transferred the relevant business to a private enterprise, and the private enterprise actually removed the township fire hydrant and stopped the water, resulting in difficulties for fire trucks to add water in the township, and it was difficult to solve it through many consultations.
"Municipal fire hydrants need to be easy to use, but this gives criminals an opportunity. Last year, 30 cases of misappropriation of water from fire hydrants were investigated and dealt with in the urban area of Ji'an alone, and there may be even more cases that have not been investigated. Xiao Zhiqiang said that the disorderly use of fire hydrants by thieves has increased the damage rate of fire hydrants.
- I don't know if it's broken, and no one repairs it when it's old. Chen Shaobin, the second-level supervisor of the Ji'an Fire and Rescue Detachment, believes that some old urban areas are densely populated and built, and the fire risk is high, and there are historical arrears of aging and untimely maintenance of fire-fighting facilities.
"On the first day of the Lunar New Year this year, we carried out rescue after receiving the fire alarm, but found that the fire hydrant in the community could not wring out the water. Fortunately, the fire broke out on the lower floor, and the water from the fire truck was able to extinguish the fire directly, causing no casualties. The captain of a county fire and rescue brigade told Banyuetan reporters that the investigation found that the community booster pump was damaged due to the old equipment and cold weather.
Fire Supervisor "Physical Examination" for Fire Hydrant in Ice and Snow
- Usually no one pays attention, and then opens it for inspection. According to the regulations, residential buildings over 21 meters must be equipped with indoor fire hydrants. In order to save money and trouble, some residential properties usually turn off the fire-fighting equipment and open the valve before the inspection. Chen Zhaoguo, deputy head of the Fuzhou City Fire and Rescue Detachment in Jiangxi Province, said. Yu Zhiying, deputy head of the property management section of the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, believes that the collection rate of property fees in some communities is insufficient, resulting in the overstretched maintenance of fire protection facilities by properties.
Municipal fire hydrants face the same challenges as indoor fire hydrants. "The year before last, we surveyed the county's fire hydrants, and the intact rate was 80%, and last year we invested more than 200 yuan in centralized remediation, and the intact rate reached more than 90%. Zhou Zhihua, captain of the Nancheng County Fire and Rescue Brigade in Fuzhou City, said that the county ensures regular inspection and maintenance, but dynamic damage is also normal.
Priority is given to improving fire-fighting facilities,
Make fire hydrants less "injured"
In view of the outstanding problems such as fire hydrant defects and inadequate management and protection, on the one hand, some places are actively carrying out the exploration of intelligent transformation of fire hydrants, and on the other hand, the grassroots also suggest that fire protection facilities be included in the scope of large-scale equipment renewal, and enjoy priority in the use of housing maintenance funds and old community renovation funds.
Not long ago, the State Council issued the "Action Plan for Promoting Large-scale Equipment Renewal and Trade-in of Consumer Goods". A number of grassroots cadres suggested that we could focus on construction, transportation and other fields, and tilt some special funds to the maintenance of fire protection facilities in old communities. At present, Yongfeng County, Ji'an City, is exploring the maintenance of fire hydrants in residential areas into the renovation of old communities, through the method of "financial funds reward and subsidy + community maintenance funds", 6 communities have applied for housing maintenance funds for rectification.
In view of the disconnection between the construction and management of fire hydrants, a number of fire cadres believe that operational and detailed measures can be introduced at the provincial level, and all localities can achieve unified standards in the construction, acceptance, and management of fire hydrants by carrying out joint meetings.
Xiao Zhiqiang suggested that the construction of intelligent fire hydrants should be promoted, and isolated fire hydrants should be turned into an important part of urban smart fire protection. The reporter learned that Ji'an City is piloting the construction of smart municipal fire hydrants in the main urban area, and real-time monitoring of the water status, geographical location, water pressure, and equipment status of the fire hydrant.
Related links: The intact rate in some places is only more than half, why do fire hydrants frequently suffer from "cerebral thrombosis"?
Original title: "Nearly half of individual counties and districts were damaged, and some communities were closed
It is difficult to save near the water, and the fire hydrant is easy to "get injured"》