Where did those Fire Hydrants go?

Are your Fire Hydrant maps updated? Can Firefighters access them in real time? Read this report by wspa:

Firefighters say a mistake on a map did not give them the information they needed to fight a fire over the weekend in Anderson County.

A home caught fire early Saturday morning on Hopewell Ridge off Highway 81.

Firefighters found a fire hydrant on the other side of the street, but the hydrant did not show up on Anderson County’s electronic map that is used by 9-1-1 dispatchers to inform firefighters of the nearest hydrant.

Anderson County Assistant Fire Chief Jimmy Sutherland says the fire department collects information about hydrant locations from water companies and then passes that information on so that it can be entered into the county’s computer mapping system.

Sutherland says there’s not enough manpower for firefighters to keep up with new hydrants that are added, so the fire department relies on water companies to tell fire crews when those additions are made, so that updates can be put into the system.

How do your utility keep the records updated?