Fire Hydrants in Tunnel Under National Mall are Dry; Some Answers on Metro’s Smoke, Fire & Power Problems; 2008 Choices; Alpha Trucks

STATter 911/9News Now Exclusive: Dead hydrants along highway under the National Mall.

How often after a bad fire do we hear a story about a crucial piece of firefighting equipment that wasn’t available? It just happened with the Manhattan tragedy and the out of service standpipe. We run stories all of the time of similar things occurring in smaller cities and towns where funding, or the will to make things right, isn’t available. But the problem we are reporting on is in the Nation’s Capitol, on the major commuter roadway that runs under the National Mall and leads to the adjacent U.S.Capitol.

With all of the money spent in the last six years to prepare Washington, D.C. in the event of a terrorist attack, still, a basic, relatively inexpensive thing, like a fire hydrant at a crucial location, isn’t working. But its not just one hydrant, it is 28 of them. More than 75 percent of the plugs along the mile stretch of roadway are dead.

All indications are the hydrants haven’t worked for a long time. If it not for the ambitious hydrant inspection program D.C. Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin started after water failures at the Georgetown library fire in April, it’s possible this problem might not have been discovered until disaster occurred.

I hope to have more later today on this issue, both on STATter 911 and 9News Now at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Metro now knows where, still working on exactly why.

After two nights of massive delays, Metro has traced its rail power problems to an electrical substation in Alexandria. Still, for a long term solution to handle power problems and reduce the number of fire and smoke calls, Metro needs money.

Firefighters and presidential politics.

Roanokefire.com has the message from Harold Schaitberger explaining the choice of Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd as the IAFF’s candidate in 2008.

In South Carolina, SConFire.com tells us they are set to unveil a national first responders coalition for Republican Rudy Giuliani.

Do only alpha males ride the alpha truck?

Not likely. But the pickup truck is an important tool for the Tucson Fire Department in its effort to cut back on needless EMS runs. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Dennis Rubin has been talking about something similar for his department.

Uniform issues.

Problems with the uniforms worn by Charleston firefighters and Jay at Firefighter Hourly has some views on this.

Geezer on the blame game.

FireGeezer looks at how politics can play a part in the aftermath of a tragic fire like the one at the Deutsche Bank building.

Training in VA.

Fredericksburg.com has a nice photo essay on a house burning and training in Spotsylvania County.

Notice the hydrant is still standing after a tanker wipes out this rowhouse in Baltimore’s Curtis Bay community. Click on The Baltimore Sun picture above to see the paper’s story.