The St. Martin Fire and Rescue Department (SMFRD) installed a dry hydrant Saturday, July 28. A dry hydrant is a non-pressurized pipe system permanently installed in existing lakes, ponds and streams that provides a suction supply of water to a fire department tank truck. In rural areas, a lack of water mains and pressurized fire hydrants can sometimes impair a fire department’s ability to do its job quickly and efficiently. The success of a fire department’s operation hinges on the distance a truck must travel to fill up and return to the fire. In many cases, these fill-up points are often long distances from the fire and the firefighters are unable to maintain an uninterrupted water source at the scene The dry hydrant was installed at the intersection of Getchell Creek and Stearns County Road 176. The Mid-Minnesota Mississippi River Resource and Conservation Development Council received a Department of Natural Resources Community Firewise Program grant to offset the costs of installing the dry hydrant. Additional support was provided by the following people and organizations: Mike Oevermann (SMFRD volunteer) of Monitor Tire Disposal, Inc.; Andy Blonigen (SMFRD volunteer) and Steve Schaefer (SMFRD volunteer) of Rotochopper, Inc.; Ben Burg (SMFRD volunteer) of Cold Spring Electric Service, Inc.; Roger Burg (SMFRD volunteer) of St. Cloud Toyota; Mark Osendorf (SMFRD volunteer) of Mondloch, Inc.; Jamie Pelzer (SMFRD volunteer) of Central McGowan, Inc.; Steve Revermann (SMFRD volunteer) of Steve’s Carpet; Tim Schaefer (SMFRD volunteer) of Cold Spring Granite; Duane Maus, hydrant location land owner & provided straw for erosion control; Steve’s Excavating of St. Cloud provided the silt fence; Steve Osendorf of Ozzy Excavating provided excavation equipment and operation; Dennis Fuchs, Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (Stearns County SWCD); and Randy Nelson, Prairie Country RC&D. Mike Oevermann a volunteer with the SMFRD said, “This dry hydrant will provide much needed water to all fire departments in the area, including Freeport, Melrose, Lake Henry and St. Martin”. If your local fire department is interested in installing a dry hydrant, call Dennis Fuchs, Stearns County SWCD administrator, at (320) 251-7800 extension 132. All SWCD programs are available without regard to race, color, nation origin, religion, gender, age marital status, or handicap.
