Fire Officials Ask Residents To Please Stop Painting Fire Hydrants

CHAPPAQUA, NY — Painting a fire hydrant to add to the curb appeal of a home or to provide a little comic relief for the neighbors might seem like harmless fun, but fire officials warn the all-too-common practice could have serious consequences in an emergency.

The Chappaqua Fire Department posted on social media Wednesday that the color of the bonnet (top) and caps on a fire hydrant are not just for decoration but actually serve an important purpose for firefighters.

The colors of a fire hydrant provide crucial information about the maximum volume of water to be expected from a particular hydrant. This is essential information for firefighters to know during a fire so that the fire chief knows exactly what the capacity of a hydrant is and can then plan and strategize around that information.

The department noted that while some residents might feel painting the hydrants to blend in with a landscape or to make them look cute (like Minions) helps with the beautification of a neighborhood, it can actually prove to be dangerous.

Painting a fire hydrant in colors other than those specifically designated by the New Castle DPW Water Department can actually impede fire department operations.

The DPW also uses special fast-drying paint that does not drip or run so any other type of paint might damage the threads on a hydrant, thus delaying a hydrant's opening and supplying of water to a fire.