page_title: Fire hydrant
section_title: Signage
hierarchical_section_title: Fire hydrant / Signage
caption_attribution_description: English: 1858 FC plaque
context_page_description: A fire hydrant is a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply. It is a component of active fire protection. Underground fire hydrants have been used in Europe and Asia since at least the 18th century. Above-ground pillar-type hydrants are a 19th-century invention.
context_section_description: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, hydrants are located in the ground. Yellow "H" hydrant signs indicate the location of the hydrants, and are similar to the blue signs in Finland. Mounted on a small post or nearby wall etc., the two numbers indicate the diameter of the water main (top number) and the distance from the sign (lower number). Modern signs show these measurements in millimetres and metres, whereas older signs use inches and feet. Because the orders of magnitude are so different (6 inches versus 150 mm) there is no ambiguity whichever measuring system is used.
  In areas of the United States without winter snow cover, blue reflectors embedded in the street are used to allow rapid identification of hydrants at night. In areas with snow cover, tall signs or flags are used so that hydrants can be found even if covered with snow. In rural areas tall narrow posts painted with visible colours such as red are attached to the hydrants to allow them to be found during heavy snowfall periods.
  The tops of the fire hydrants indicate the amount of pressure each one will put out. This is good because it makes the choice of what hydrants will be used to supply water to the fire scene.
  Blue: 1500 GPM or more; very good flow
  Green: 1000–1499 GPM; good for residential areas
  Orange: 500–999 GPM; marginally adequate
  Red: below 500 GPM; inadequate
  The hydrant bodies are also color-coded.
  White: Public System Hydrant
  Yellow: Private System Hydrant; connected to public water main
  Red: Special Operation Hydrant; not used except for special procedures
  Violet: Non-potable supply; effluent, pond or lake supply
  These markings and colours are required by the NFPA(National Fire Protection Agency).
  In Australia, hydrant signage varies, with several types displayed across the country. Most Australian hydrants are underground, being of a ballcock system (spring hydrant type), and a separate standpipe with a central plunger is used to open the valve. Consequently, hydrant signage is essential, because of their concealed nature.
  Painted markers – Usually a white or yellow (sometimes reflective paint) triangle or arrow painted on the road, pointing towards the side of the road the hydrant will be found on. These are most common in old areas, or on new roads where more advanced signs have not been installed. These are almost always coupled with a secondary form of signage.
  Hydrant Marker Plates – Found on power poles, fences, or street-signs, these are a comprehensive and effective system of identification. The plate consists of several codes; H (Potable water Hydrant), RH (Recycled/Non Potable), P (Pathway, where the hydrant cover can be found), R (Roadway). The plate is vertically oriented, around 8 cm wide, and 15 cm high. It usually faces in the direction of the hydrant. Found on this plate, from top to bottom, are the following features:
  The codes listed above, Potable/Non-potable at the top, Path/Roadway on the bottom of the plate.
  Below this, a number giving the distance to the hydrant (in meters), then a second number below that giving the size (in millimeters) of the water main.
  A black line across the center of the plate indicates the hydrant is found on the opposite side of the road to which the plate is affixed.
  Plates for recycled water have a purple background, as well as the RH code, normal potable hydrants are white, with the H code.
  Road markers or Cat's eyes – Almost exclusively blue,  these are placed on one side or the other of the centre line of the road, to indicate on which side of the road the hydrant lies. They are visible for several hundred meters at night in heavy rain, further in clear conditions.
  In Germany the hydrant marker plates follow the style of other marker plates pointing to underground installations. Fire hydrant marker plates have a red border. Other water hydrants may have a blue border. A gas hydrant would have a yellow background instead of a white one for fire hydrants. All of them have large central T with the installation identification on top of it - an "H" or older "UH" is located in the ground, a "
caption: Hydrant sign in Cork, Ireland, dated 1858. The letters "FC" indicate the old name for a hydrant: firecock.
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