MADISON TOWNSHIP — Chief Ken Justus of the Madison Township Fire Department believes the municipality’s federal COVID-19 relief funds present an opportunity to make the community safer.
It’s why he’s preparing a proposal to install more fire hydrants throughout the township.
“The township got $1.1 million in ARPA money. I don’t expect them to spend it all on fire hydrants, but any hydrants we add helps,” Justus said Tuesday.
Justus delayed a formal proposal because he had not received final cost estimates, but the chief shared his reasoning with township officials during a special meeting on Tuesday.
Justus said the hydrants would help the department operate more efficiently and lower home insurance rates for the residents who live near them.
When firefighters lack access a hydrant, they are limited to the amount of water that can be transported in a fire truck. After that, trucks have to drive to the nearest hydrant, which Justus said costs time and increases liability.
“Anytime you have moving vehicles you add the risk of somebody getting hurt in an auto accident,” he said. “Not to mention, there is the mechanical aspect — brakes could go out, tire could go flat, truck could stall.”
Justus recalled a house fire last year on Kentucky Avenue, where the nearest hydrant was about a half mile away. Within 20 minutes, the tanks of the trucks were empty, so firefighters began driving the trucks back and forth in a loop to refill.
The chief said he’d like to add around 25 fire hydrants to the township’s water lines.
“I don’t know if that’s feasible,” he admitted. “But I think that anything we do is beneficial.”
If trustees do approve any number of hydrants, Justus said he’d like to spread them out. He estimated the Madison Water District has lines in about 20 percent of the 12 square miles that make up the township’s east side.
“On that 20 percent there’s probably 15 to 20 hydrants,” he said. “There’s just certain areas that have some and then there’s none at all another in other areas.”
According to Justus, insurance companies factor data from the Insurance Services Office into their home insurance rates. One factor that ISO evaluates is the proximity of fire hydrants to a home. Homes that have a fire hydrant within 1,000 feet have a better Fire Protection Class.
“I’m fighting for this,” he said. “I know that paving roads is important, I know that’s something the public is very interested in, but once a fire hydrant goes in, it’s in. It’s not like a road that needs paved every 10 years. It’s an investment. It’s a permanent improvement to a community.”
