320.273. Dry hydrant technical assistance program to be established--dry hydrant defined--purposes and goals of program. - Missouri Statutes

Dry hydrant technical assistance program to be established--dryhydrant defined--purposes and goals of program.

320.273. 1. The state fire marshal in cooperation with thedepartment of conservation shall establish a standardized dryhydrant technical assistance program to identify rural areas withpriority fire control needs and to study the feasibility of theuse of dry hydrants in such rural areas of the state by certainfire departments and fire protection districts and to educatesuch fire departments and fire protection districts in the use ofdry hydrants.

2. "Dry hydrants" are nonpressurized pipes permanentlyinstalled in lakes, farm ponds, and streams that provide a readymeans of drawing water for rural fire departments. A welldesigned dry hydrant water delivery system can improve firefighting capabilities, save fuel, and reduce homeowner insurancepremiums. Dry hydrant systems provide easier access to vastamounts of water needed by county road maintenance crews whenthey improve and repair rural gravel roads. Dry hydrants makeunprocessed water available for fire fighting and roadmaintenance which gives small towns the opportunity to makebetter use of the town's limited supply of drinking water.

3. The goals and objectives of the dry hydrant assistanceprogram established in subsection 1 of this section is to:

(1) Improve rural fire protection, potentially saving livesand property;

(2) Ensure a better quality of life for the citizens ofeconomically depressed rural areas;

(3) Provide an economic stimulus of underdeveloped ruralareas, thereby creating jobs;

(4) Decrease local government operating costs and saveenergy with more efficient use of fuel;

(5) Reduce property insurance rates for rural homeowners;

(6) Improve road maintenance; and

(7) Augment the use of gravity systems which may be damagedby natural disasters such as earthquakes.

(L. 1994 S.B. 678)