Fire Hydrants Colors not Set in Stone

Because You Asked

A reader recently wrote and posed the following question: Is it law that all fire hydrants are supposed to be a

bright, red color? The reader wrote that he has seen at least two fire hydrants in West Jefferson that were "painted all over. One has blue and white all over and the other one has four colors on it, but not any red."

West Jefferson Town Manager Greg McGinnis said that "there's not a law that all fire hydrants be painted bright red. There are only recommendations."

According to the National Fire Protection Association, they primarily recommend that the hydrant tops and caps be painted a particular color based on the amount of pressure offered by a hydrant. They recommend that hydrants: with pressure of less than 500 gallons/minute be painted red; with a pressure between 500 and 999 gallons/minute be painted orange; with a pressure between 1,000 and 1,499 gallons/minute be painted green; and those with pressure of more than 1,500 gallons/minute be painted blue.

McGinnis said that the multi-colored fire hydrants are the result of a project held to beautify the town. The decision was approved by the West Jefferson Board of Alderman, and the project follows in the footsteps of other small towns that have held similar projects.

"I worked with the fire department, and they know where the hydrants are," he said. " It's not like this is a big city and they need to know the different colors and different pressures." He noted that there was only one stipulation, since "there are some hydrants that have different size connections, and those were painted with a yellow top." Artists were instructed to paint what they choose, as long as they don't paint over the yellow top.

Jane Lonon, executive director of the Ashe County Arts Council, said that the joint project was held by the arts council, the West Jefferson Tourism Development Authority, the West Jefferson Community Partners and the town.

"We wanted a different way of utilizing art and doing something different, unique and colorful to continue promoting West Jefferson as an arts district," said Lonon. Local artists, community members and school groups were invited to decorate the hydrants.

Working in conjunction with the fire department, 15 fire hydrants were selected for the project. Lonon said that public safety was taken into account first to make sure the repainted hydrants wouldn't create an issue for firefighters.

To date, six of the hydrants selected have been painted by five local artists: Joanie Bell, R.T. Morgan, Catherine Altice, Clayton Proctor and Pat Morrison, who has painted two. Lonon said that the artwork on "a couple more hydrants is in the works."

She added that the primary goal was to create "one more way to entice people to Ashe County and West Jefferson to see art done on a different surface in a unique presentation."

-Joel Frady