Why fire hydrant colors are changing in Ogden

OGDEN, Utah — Ogden City is changing the colors on some of its fire hydrants. And officials want to make sure that residents know why.

Fire hydrant colors 

The colors serve a purpose; to enable firefighters to make decisions quickly in emergency situations. 

The paint on the top of a hydrant indicates the amount of water flow available from the hydrant. Color coding tells firefighters if they will need additional water supplies when they are working to extinguish a fire. 

Per the National Fire Protection Association, fire hydrant colors mean different things. A red hydrant indicates that less than 500 gallons of water will flow out of it per minute. Orange indicates 500 – 999 gallons per minute, and blue means 1,500 or more gallons per minute. Ogden City is changing its hydrant colors to match this standard. 

“Most all of the fire hydrants in Ogden City will be either blue or green tops,” Ogden City Fire Department said in a Facebook post, which described why the city is changing the color of the hydrants.

They added that if there is an all-red fire hydrant outside of your home or business, it is nothing to be concerned about. The fire department’s post said that these hydrants are a “work in progress with the help of the fire department, Ogden City Water, and volunteers from My Hometown Ogden City.” 

 

Related reading: 

• Gov. Cox issues warning to Utahns over fire safety
• Be Ready Utah: Fire Prevention Week … are you prepared?
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