A fire service has warned motorists that they could be fined for parking over or blocking a fire hydrant with their cars - but many people were left shocked at what the fire-fighting infrastructure looked like and questioned how they would be able to spot one on a road during the winter.
Posting on social media, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service reminded motorists that it is an offence to prevent access to a fire hydrant with a car. On the Facebook post they informed users that under the Fire Service Act, vehicles that repeatedly block hydrants could be reported - which can result in a fine of up to £500 - as delays in accessing water could impact firefighting operations and the community.
However, many people shared online that they had no idea such a rule was in place, or what a twenty-first century fire hydrant looked like. One commenter said: "I was today years old when I found out that this was in fact a fire hydrant." While another person added: "I had no idea (at 62) that this was a fire hydrant. I hope I’ve never parked near or over one." One person even said that she "would walk past that and not even know what it was."
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One person who claims he retired from the fire service said: "That's a poor effort for a hydrant. Don't you paint them yellow anymore?? Easy mistake to make for the average motorist..... I'd miss that and I'm retired fire service." Another commenter mentioned how dangerous he thought the visibility of the fire hydrant was, saying: "Twenty-first century and we still bury them in roads, dangerous to use, often full of dirt and difficult to access."
Other commenters agreed and were shocked at how difficult it would be to spot them on the road. One commenter said: "Need to go back to painting them yellow!! At least people would have a chance of noticing them and they won’t blend in with the road." While another added: "Perhaps they should be more visible so the motorist can see them, easy to miss with the amount of debris on the roads and the dark evenings drawing in."
Many people also agreed that the fire hydrants should once again be painted yellow, to ensure that they are visible to motorists. One woman said: "Couldn't they be yellow so we could see them when parking." Others also called for more education on fire hydrants to be provided, so the public knows what to look out for, saying: "Paint them yellow again. DAAAHH!!!! make them visible again. Start teaching kids in school what they look like, how and who uses them. And the signs are not always very close to the hydrant!"
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