By Martin Luttrell
In the event of a structure fire, minutes count. And if firefighters have to spend time clearing snow away from hydrants and cisterns to get water, those minutes can allow a fire to grow exponentially.
Mendon has a few pressurized hydrants and 37 fire protection cisterns, underground tanks that store anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 gallons of water. To get the water onto a fire, an engine pulls the water out of a cistern and feeds it to another engine at the fire scene.
While the department has cleared some cisterns, it has been busy with emergencies and other tasks, and asks that residents help keep these important water sources clear of snow.
Cisterns can be found next to the road in neighborhoods and around businesses, marked by large red pipes coming out of the ground.
Before and after photos of one of Mendon’s 37 fire protection cisterns after the Jan. 19-20 snowstorm.
