It’s always a challenge to access water to fight fires in mountainous regions, said Scott Freeman, a senior firefighter with the Hoodland Fire District in Welches, Ore. For example, Freeman said Hoodland firefighters contend with deep snow, which hinders their ability to find and tap into fire hydrants when called to an incident. As a result, his colleague Lt. John Creel developed a hydrant snorkel used to both identify water sources and access them within the 4-minute NFPA standard requirement.

“It’s a really basic thing about firefighting is that you have to have water,” Freeman said. “What this does is let you have access to water when you pull up the truck so you can do the job.”

Creel said the department had a problem establishing water flow to fight fires up in the snow zone in remote regions near the area’s ski resorts.

“It’s hard to get water in those areas because the roads are usually treacherous, covered with either snow or ice,” Creel said. “And getting our water tenders from the main station to the resort takes 10 to 15 minutes but you need to establish water flow in 4 minutes of arrival on scene per NFPA. Finding hydrants then becomes essential.” 

Creel said the snorkel is a made of galvanized steel and is installed in autumn before snowfall. He said an extended wrench comes straight off the hydrant nut and turns exactly the same way, and the storz connect-and-disconnect fitting attaches directly to the 4-inch supply line.

“It comes off the port of hydrant and goes above the snow line and that’s where firefighters plug in,” Creel said. “You don’t have to dig down to open the hydrant, and it creates a good marker so you can see where the hydrant is and pull up the way you normally would.”

Freeman said it takes less than 60 seconds to install the snorkel, and that it can withstand continual passes by snowplows and piling up snow all winter long. It also has a quick connect feature on the top and a 2- or 4-foot extension that lets users elevate the hydrant to the desired height.

It is available now and costs $295 plus shipping. Departments that order more than 50 will receive a price break, Freeman said.