TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — As wildfires burn uncontrolled in Los Angeles County and critics level fingers at authorities failures, the town of Tempe needs to reassure those who it’s prepared for any emergency.
One drawback was fire hydrants ran dry whereas firefighters battled the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Some crews may solely watch as homes went up in flames due to an absence of water.
Tempe issued a press release on Friday saying that Tempe Water Utilities retains hundreds of thousands of gallons of water by its system always for firefighters to make use of.
“This water is in reserve – it’s not used until completely crucial, and it’s by no means wasted,” officers stated.
Tempe has about 10,000 hearth hydrants that cowl the town’s 40 sq. miles.
Crews do preventative upkeep on every hydrant at the very least as soon as each three years and examine often-used hydrants extra incessantly, leaders stated.
Officers stated the Tempe Hearth Medical Rescue Division has the very best attainable Insurance Service Office rating, which charges hearth departments and communities on how effectively they’ll deal with fires.
In 1997, the division turned the primary internationally accredited hearth division, they usually have stored that accreditation ever since.
As of 2019, TFMR has an ISO score of 1, the most effective score within the system, which means decrease house insurance coverage premiums.
The Tempe Hearth Medical Rescue Division additionally has weekly coaching to ensure crews are ready for any emergency, from hazardous supplies response to water rescues.
Town can also be a part of the Regional Computerized Assist System, a partnership among the many 23 hearth departments within the Valley. So meaning the closest firefighters reply to an emergency, irrespective of which metropolis it’s in.
County and state-level officers are prepared to assist if there’s a large-scale catastrophe.
“Whereas nobody can count on tragedies akin to what is occurring in California, the Metropolis of Tempe has taken motion to be prepared and reactive,” officers stated.
FULL COVERAGE: Wildfires rage across Los Angeles County
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