City of
Rockford
Fire & Rescue Department
Kevin
Reed Michael Beyer
Fire Chief Mayor,
Firefighter
ADOPT-A-HYDRANT PROGRAM
Thank
you for considering to participate in the Adopt-a-Hydrant Program. The Rockford Fire & Rescue Department along with
the Rockford City Council are proud to offer this program and
excited to see the creative ways the hydrants may be
painted, if you choose to paint your adopted hydrant.
We want to
start by introducing you to Freddy the Fire Hydrant.
Hi, I’m Freddy Hydrant and I want to tell you all about me. Being a
fire hydrant is boring, but I have a very important job and I need your help! The Firefighters need
help taking care of me and the other members of my “Hydrant family”.
My
family is hopeful that your family or group will consider adopting one of us.
We are easy to care for. We do not have to be fed. We are very self sufficient
in that regard. But fire hydrants do have a tendency to suffer from
claustrophobia. In the winter we need a 3-foot radius of space cleared around
us of snow and ice. In the summer we need to be kept clear of shrubbery, weeds
and any other debris.
It
is also important to us that we maintain a watchful eye on your neighborhood or
business. To do so we not only need the 3-foot radius clear we also need to
have the snow, shrubbery and weeds kept below our line of vision. This will
help the firefighters locate us quickly.
Valuable time is lost when firefighters cannot spot us quickly or need
to shovel snow to hook up to us.
When
adopting one of us you will need to keep a watchful eye on us. If we appear to
have caught a cold and our noses begin to run please contact city hall immediately, as this may be fatal. (frozen
fire hydrants are of no value to anyone) As you know we have no arms or legs. Please
keep an eye on us so nobody vandalizes us or opens our caps.
By
adopting one of us and providing this great care we can ensure we will be able
to assist the firefighters when we are needed the most!
☺To make my job more
exciting and your job creative and fun the firefighters say you can paint me.
You can paint me anyway you wish but you must follow these guidelines:
1. Clean me up, which may include some sanding to get me ready to paint.
2. Please paint me in good taste. I do not want to offend anyone. No
camouflage, religious/political
Symbols or advertising.
(Have fun and make it fun for everyone).
3. I must be seen at night so remember the grass is green and the snow is
white.
4. Please use Valspar Industrial Enamel paint available through Lamperts in
5. Please don't paint me completely. I need to have my threads kept clean so my
caps won't stick.
6. Remember, you can paint me, but you cannot alter my mechanical operations.
7. Please do not add any special devices to me.
Thank you for
considering adopting me. To follow is
the rest of the information you will need to complete my adoption. I hope to
see you soon!
****************************************
Although, Freddy
Hydrant
explained it well, as firefighters we would like to stress the importance of
keeping the city’s fire hydrants clear of snow, shrubbery, weeds and any other
debris. When arriving at a fire, a firefighter’s “adrenaline” has kicked in and
we are ready to go! In a case where a hydrant may be obstructed, valuable time
is lost when firefighters need to clear a hydrant to hook up to it.
Since
this is a volunteer program taxpayers dollars will not be used on made
available for the program. To cover the
cost of the paint the Adoption fee is $30.00 for a five year adoption period.
The Fire Department has made arrangements with Lampert Yards located in the
City’s Industrial Park. Lamperts can
assist you in purchasing the proper products needed. Lampets will also bill the
fire department for the paint which in turn the fire department will pay for
out of the adoption fund.
Reduce – Reuse - Recycle
Since
the Industrial Enamel Paint, needed to paint the hydrants is quite costly, as
part of the program we ask that you please return any unused paints back to
Lamperts. Lamperts has agreed to store the
paints for the next adoptive family or group to use. Although it is estimated that the paint can last for up to
five (5) years you may need to touch up your hydrant during the five (5) year
period. If you need
to touch
up contact city hall, staff members will help you obtain the recycled
paint.
If
the hydrant you want to adopt is not on your property please contact city hall.
Staff will provide you with a form for you and the property owner to sign which
will state the property owner agrees to allow you onto the property. Please
keep in mind that you are going to be the one with the ultimate responsibility
for maintaining the area around the hydrant if that homeowner chooses not to.
In
order to paint a hydrant, outdoor temperatures must be above 60 F, for several
consecutive days. As a general rule, painting should be done during the months
of June – October, depending on weather conditions.
Upon
receiving your certificate of adoption you will also be given instructions on
how to successfully paint your hydrant without affecting its function and a
list of paint which can be picked up at Lamperts when you show your adoption
paper.
Volunteers
are asked to provide the following which you can also purchase at Lamperts:
- Wire or stiff bristle brush* and mild detergent, to clean dirt, rust, and
loose paint from the hydrant
- Pencil to sketch basic design onto hydrant
- Paint brushes*
- Gasket material*
- Newspaper or drop cloth* to protect sidewalk or lawn
- Mineral spirits* to clean brushes, hands, and splashed or dribbled paint
We would like to say how
much we appreciate your volunteer participation in this program. We would also
like to encourage civic groups, neighborhoods, families, church groups and any
other organizations to participate. This
is a great way to share your creativity, imagination and to help beautify
Kevin Reed Michael
Beyer
Fire Chief Mayor,
Firefighter