Firefighters frustrated in attempt to get hydrant info

Much of the data they got from Pennsylvania-American Water turned out to be outdated.

Elizabeth Township Fire Department has been trying to acquire fire hydrant information, but with little success.

Chief Adam Janosko has been coming to the Elizabeth Township commissioners meetings for the last year to discuss getting more data on the township’s hydrants so it can help the departments in the area fight fires easier and more efficiently.

At the July meeting, assistant township manager Jess Gronlund said Pennsylvania- American Water met with herself, Janosko and his crew in February, but a lot of the information they provided was outdated.

Representatives from the water company attended the July meeting relating to a resolution that commissioners approved, which was an Act 537 sewage facilities plan special study for them to acquire a sewer system in the area.

Janosko said they received information on roughly 450 hydrants, but the company was unable to provide a date or time when it was gathered.

He also said they were old Excel spread sheets that were not able to be sent through a copier, so they hand wrote all the locations and flows of the 450 hydrants.

“Most of the (fire hydrant) lines on that sheet, if I remember correctly, were sixinch lines,” Janosko said. “They have since approved all those lines to eight-inch lines, adding an additional 50 hydrants throughout the township. They didn’t have accurate data, so we have a minimum flow of old data with no information as when the new data would be provided.”

A hydrant recently blew out in front of Elizabeth Borough’s fire department, causing the whole street to be closed and warping the street, according to Janosko, who cited that incident as a reason why they need accurate information.

“We pay a substantial fee for these hydrants, and we should be able to get the flow of these hydrants and what they can do,” former chief for Blaine Hill Fire Department and commissioner Chris Evans said. “I think it’s crazy we can’t get this information when we are paying $112,000 a year for the hydrants. It is something we are paying for, so we should be able to get that information.”

Commissioner Chris Thoma said they are getting information, but it’s not good at all and it’s frustrating.

“I have been in government for a lot of years and I have begged and pleaded and gone to their PA American Water meetings on multiple occasions,” Township Manager Tammy Firda said. “It is an uphill battle, and I have gone nowhere with them on that. It’s been an ongoing issue throughout many communities, not just here.”

Police Chief Ken Honick said there has been bagging of some hydrants, and he has not seen that process until this year in the township. He recommended the public safety committee meet with PA American.

Janosko said he is immediately notified of bagged hydrants and notifies his crew. Solicitor Matt Racunas said the township does not have ownership responsibility for hydrants, and he’s going to look into if they can legally give out information or not.

Janosko added that they have tanker trucks to hopefully supplement a reliable water source. They plan to flow test hydrants by the high school to make sure they’re all still working during construction after they talk with the school district.

“Right now, there are no grave concerns that I have as far as hydrants providing a certain flow,” Janosko said. “It’s just if we go to use them if they are maintained properly and they are going to open the flow rate.

“They have gotten a lot better with that information, but I think the coordination that we have had with township commissioners reaching out that they are a little more on top of it in terms of providing information when a hydrant is not working or they take them out of service.”

PA American Water did not respond to requests for comment as of press time Sunday.

The department is also looking at the cost of having a strategic plan developed by a consulting firm. Funding for the plan was not possible due to township officials declining to complete required DCED paperwork — $12,000 has been received by the consultant, and if they worked with DCED, it would be no fee to the fire department.

ETFD will participate in Elizabeth Borough’s Riverfest, which is the weekend of July 25, along with Pleasant Hills’ National Night Out July 29 and the Blaine Hill fair Aug. 9.