The following is a report relating to the fire protection capabilities for water supply. This report discusses the pros and cons of the use of Fire Hydrants, Draft hydrants and Standpipes for the purposes of providing fire protection to the community of Deer Lake.
Claude Earl "Skip" Wells
TriTech Northwest Consulting Co
Introduction
The community of Deer Lake is comprised of mobile homes, manufactured homes and houses, which have been constructed on the lake over some 90 years. The properties have been developed by meets and bounds, short plats and long plats. The nature of the development has included some resorts, which have been turned into private home associations houses with lake frontage and secondary lots. There are also quite a number of lots with houses that, although are not on the lake itself, are or can be members of DLPOA and are therefore included in this report.
The make up of the community is for all intents and purposes a rural type development that has the advantage of having a great recreation area due to the Lake.
There is now a water system that surrounds the lake. The water system is owned by the Stevens County Public Utility District #1 (PUD). The PUD provides domestic water supply to the residents.
The road system consists of public roads that are maintained and plowed by Stevens County, some Public Roads that are not maintained by the County in the winter, that is no snow plowing, Private Roads that may or may not have road maintenance agreements and Utility Easements that are used as access to lots which do not have roads or road maintenance agreements. The present width of the roads also plays a part. Most are quite narrow. All future roads public or private must meet designed to minimum County Specifications be they public or private in order to lessen the access problems that now exist.
The Deer Lake Properties Association is in the process of providing land for a future fire station. When construction is completed and a Rated Fire Engine is housed at the station those residents located within five miles of the station, as the truck drives, will potentially enjoy a fire insurance rate reduction down to an 8A.
Fire Department
Fire Protection for the lake is provided by Stevens County Fire Protection District #1 (SCoFPDl). In a meeting held recently with Fire Chief Brad Martin he said that one of the most important issue his department faces when trying to protect the community is year round access to the structures and a water supply that can be used for hydrant operations or to fill water tenders so water can be hauled to a structural fire. The typical structural response to structures on the lake includes two Rated Fire Engines and at least two Water Tenders. Quick attack apparatus are also sent to the scene but the real tools for structural fires are carried on the Engines.
Chief Martin would also like to see the members of the community "Adopt a Fire Hydrant". What this means is that those people who live near a fire hydrant see to it that the hydrant is plowed or shoveled out during the winter. This greatly enhances the capability of the fire department to get to and use the fire hydrant during winter operations.
The Fire District can draft water from lakes and streams during times when they are unfrozen but is must be stated that winter operations in the fire service are very labor intensive. Setting up these types of operations are very labor intensive and take personnel who could be used at the fire. The same can be said for all operations that involve the use of Water Tenders.
Water Department
The water system has grown from one having only a lake fed pump in Cedar Bay serving the homes in the Swanson Addition and the Southwest side of the lake and some private systems serving some other groups and former resorts into one major system. The system as designed is fulfilling the functions as designed but there are some limitations. Part of this was predicated on what the citizens wanted at the time of construction. Time have changed. In the last 15 to 20 years a considerable number of houses and mobile homes have been built or placed on vacant lots.. The installation of a sewer system has allowed for the increase of homes particularly on building sites that could not be built on with septic tanks due to lack of usable space.
The water system is being used for domestic consumption as well as fire protection. There can be limitations when this occurs. During a heavy fire usage there will be a pressure drop to the structures in the area of the fire. This is due to the fact that the large amount of water being drawn from the hydrants will take the priority. This is not uncommon in a rural type water system.
There are now three deep wells supplying water to the residents of the lake. There are also three reservoirs totaling approximately 220,000 gallons which hold water for use in balancing out the water system pressures, large draws during peak periods, fire protection and supply water when there is an electric power outage. To date there a hydraulic analysis of the system has not been conducted.
The PUD has installed fire hydrants over time either as part of facility upgrades, Utility Improvement District water main extensions and grants. These have been spaced sporadically around the lake for the purposes of providing year round water supply for fire protection and flushing water lines in the spring of each year. Larry Isaacs, Operations Manager for the PUD prefers fire hydrants be installed as opposed to standpipes. The maintenance issues related to standpipes is far greater than fire hydrants.
There are some voids in the hydrant distribution. This is not uncommon in a rural type water system. It would be best to have additional fire hydrants installed in highly congested areas around the lake that would all the Fire Department a closer supply.
These should be installed in distances of 600 feet between them allowing for a typical residential type fire operation.
Areas that could take a great advantage of this include but are not limited to The Narrows on both sides of the lake, Julius Terrace, Wanakawin Haney's area, Pebble Beach Pine Bay and Tamarack Bay and portions of Cedar Bay East Deer Lake Road and road systems leading off North Deer Lake Road. Spacing would probably be not only related to distance but to the fact that in some cases there are rock issues and it would be simpler to move the location of the hydrant rather than raise the cost of installation.
The Water Department is not in a position to be buying fire hydrants just for Deer Lake. The cost of hydrants must be borne by citizens or developers who are installing water mains at the time of new construction, and through the use of any grant moneys that can be obtained from County, State or Federal grants. The PUD is supportive of using grants for this purpose.
The cost of a typical fire hydrant installation on an existing water main may run $2500.00. A standpipe installation may be $ 1500.00. A portion of the cost, that being excavation is the same for either of these installations. Any pavement replacement would be extra.
Fire Insurance Ratings
Fire insurance ratings are based on several things however there are two common elements include The fire Department and the Water Department(s) located within the Fire District boundary lines.
The Fire District currently enjoys a fire insurance protection class rating of 8A. It should be noted however that the rating could change to a Class 9 or 10 depending upon the location of the residence to the fire station, road system(s) and fire hydrants. (See Table 2. It should be noted that the PUD has two reservoirs on two sides of the lake, which are included as the supply for the fire hydrants. These reservoirs are capable of holding 70,000 gallon each.
Another year round water supply that can be included in as part of the Rating are draft sites that can be accessed by the Fire Department. This would typically be through the use of Draft Hydrants (dry hydrants) which could be located in such a way that water can be obtained during winter time. The installation has to be in a location that can be accessed by Fire Engines and provide turn around capability for Water Tenders. Lakes, creeks, rivers, and springs are not counted as year round supply due to freezing or a drop in water levels. Therefore, Deer Lake as it exists presently cannot be counted as a year round supply. A Draft Hydrant would be installed in such a way so as to be below the freezing level and still have a water supply.
The cost of a Draft Hydrant can run $5000.00 to $7500.00. Permits for such installations on the lake would have to be approved through the Shorelines Management Act. As the Fire District capabilities improve they can get what is known as a Tender Credit Rating. In this rating, residences only, no barns, unattached garages or out buildings, can have their rates reduced by using a Water Tender and Fire Engine Shuttle System which might include a combination of fire hydrants and draft hydrants from which to obtain water for a fire could reduce their rating from a 9 to 8A provided they were within 5 miles of a fire station which had a Rated Fire Engine housed there.
The Fire District is still in the building mode and is not in a position at this time to go for that Rating. The Rating would have to be obtained for the entire Fire District not just Deer Lake due to the fact that we are not an incorporated city or town.
Grants
The Stevens County Department of Community Development does get funds for Community Block Grants. These funds, when available, can be used for fire protection. Dave Kealey, the administrator, informed me that quite often funds are used by water purveyors when upgrades to water systems are made. Fire hydrants are or can be included in a package for replacement of mains adding reservoirs and such. Each grant application is prioritized by need and overall benefit for a community. They have not had a grant for fire hydrants or standpipes as a separate item.
There is another avenue that might be available. That would be through the County Commissioners office. Title III money has come available from the U.S. Forest Service as the result of Wild Land Fire protection. These funds are typically used by fire departments for the purchase of equipment. Small fire departments have been able to upgrade their crews in this manner.
Deer Lake is in a Wild Land Fire Protection area and it would seem that these funds might be directed to water supply as well due to the fact that this would be permanent additions and improvements to a water system. This should be pursued in conjunction with the PUD and SCOFPD#1 due to the fact that the PUD owns the water system and this use would be for the fire department. It would be easier to get grants for fire hydrants than for standpipes due to the potential insurance credit.
There may be Wild Land Fire moneys through the Department of Natural Resources. These funds might be used for fire hydrants or Draft Hydrants
Table l
Fire Hydrant and Standpipe Considerations
| Frost Proof Design for Winter Operations | May be Frost Proof design |
| Flow capability 0-1500 gallons per minute depending on water system design | Flow capability 0-100 gallons per minute depending on water system design |
| As water system improves hydrant delivery Flow rate improves | Water system changes have little or no change in flow rate |
| Fire Dept. carries fire hydrant wrenches | Fire Dept. does not carry street valve keys |
| Operation valve available from the top of the hydrant | Operation valve buried in the ground and not available to the Fire Dept. |
| Fire Hydrant is designed for breakaway capability to reduce damage to hydrant and water system. | Standpipe is not design to sustain damage. There can be extensive damage to water system when struck by vehicles. |
| Fire Insurance credit is given by insurance companies. | No Fire Insurance credit is given by the insurance companies |
| Fire Hydrant has a 4 1/2" to 5 1/4" main valve opening w/ 2 2 1/2" and 1 41/2" openings | Standpipe has 2" to 2 1/2" main valve opening w/1 1/2" or 2 1/2" opening |
Table 2
Fire Insurance Ratings and associated costs
| Insurance Class Rate | 8A | 9 | 10 |
| $50,000 Home | $499.00 per year | $561.00 per year | $729.00 per year |
| $100,000 Home | $738.00 per year | $828.00 per year | $1076.00 per year |
| $150,000 Home | $985.00 per year | 1104.00 per year | $1436.00 per year |
* General rates are based on $1000.00 deductible. Specific rates must be obtained from the Insurance Companies.
Class 8A rating presumes the house is on a public road has a fire station within 5 miles of the home as the truck drives, has a fire hydrant within 1000 feet of the house and is on a public road or a private road that has a road maintenance agreement including snow plowing.
Class 9 rating presumes that the house is on a public road has a fire station within 5 miles as the truck drives, or has a fire hydrant within 1000 feet.
Class 10 rating presumes that the house does not have a fire station within 5 miles, or does not have a public road or a private road maintenance agreement.
* Specific information must be obtained from the insurance company.
** The table presented only represents one insurance company and home owners need to shop for insurance.
Conclusions