DEP Announces Innovative Fire Hydrant Abuse Prevention Program

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has partnered with Alianza Dominicana, the well known Washington Heights community organization, to create an innovative fire hydrant abuse prevention program called HEAT (Hydrant Education Action Team). Beginning July 9, 20 youth educators will distribute information outside subway stations and parks, at neighborhood events, and on local streets where residents open fire hydrants on hot days, often without realizing the possible consequences for fire-fighting, domestic water use, and the safety of young children.

The young people who will participate in HEAT were funded in part as summer youth workers through the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development. The students, who are between the ages of 14 and 21, will work in two groups, each with a supervisor who will plan the group’s activities based on weather, scheduled events in each community and patterns observed in the course of the outreach work. HEAT participants will wear red t-shirts and most are bilingual in Spanish and English. In addition to talking with the community about hydrant abuse, HEAT team members will also provide information about obtaining sprinkler caps for the supervised, appropriate use of City fire hydrants, and about other ways people can cool off on hot days, including at New York City Department of Parks and Recreation pools and sprinklers.

The unauthorized opening of New York City fire hydrants is illegal, and often spikes during heat waves. Opened hydrants lower water pressure, cause problems at hospitals and medical facilities and reduce the flow of water needed to fight fires. Opening a hydrant without a spray cap can result in fines of up to $1000, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.

All New Yorkers should call 311 to report open fire hydrants.

More Information

• Hydrant FAQs
• Read the Press Release
• Download the HEAT flyer (PDF)
• Find a swimming pool in your neighborhood
• Information on hydrants and heat emergencies at OEM