Brownwood Fire Department to Perform Annual Fire Hydrant Maintenance

Public Notice – The Brownwood Fire Department along with the City of Brownwood Utility Department will be working together to perform annual fire hydrant maintenance beginning June 7^th, 2017. Hydrant maintenance is done annually as required by an agency called Insurance Services Office, or ISO. This Agency rates a City and a Fire Department on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being perfect and 10 being no fire protection at all.

The City of Brownwood was rated in 2007, and was given a rating of 3, which was an improvement from our previous 5 rating. This information is collected for insuring agencies to set fire insurance rates. The better rating then allows for less expensive insurance policies.

The Fire Department makes up most of the ISO points earned, but the Water Utilities, Fire Dispatch, and Code Enforcement are also a part of the grade. The Hydrant Maintenance is the part of this grade that we will be working on through the end of July. There are 782 hydrants to be cleaned, oiled, flow tested, and water main pipes flushed. The Fire Department keeps the records on the maintenance, and the flow test results in gallons per minute each hydrant is capable of flowing. The Utility Department has the job of flushing out the water mains, which moves any stagnated water out and keeps the disinfectant levels up to improve water quality.

Please be aware that flushing the water mains will stir up sediment. Residents may experience some rusty water coming through their pipes. The Utility Department will be working to clear the lines and you may need to flush water through your pipes to clear them. Any assistance needed with clearing lines should be directed to The City of Brownwood Utility Department at 325-646-6000.

On duty Fire Crews will be out in their fire apparatus to perform these duties. So please watch out for them and do not try to drive through the water stream they are flowing as it is very powerful and can cause damage. Firefighters must keep their truck and tools with them to be able to respond to calls during these activities.