[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish gets $1 million from FEMA for fire hydrant repair

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish gets $1 million from FEMA for fire hydrant repair
by The Times-Picayune 
Wednesday May 27, 2009, 1:15 PM
FEMA will provide St. Bernard Parish with $1 million to repair more than 500
fire hydrants across the parish, the agency said in a news release today.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which swamped the parish in 2005, damaged 581
fire hydrants in the parish. FEMA's news release said the salt water
corroded the metal components of the hydrants, including their mechanical
joints, nozzles and cap gaskets and the damage limited the hydrants'
operational capabilities by causing their water flow to be uneven and
unreliable. 

"Replacing fire hydrants may not be the first thing you think of when it
comes to hurricane recovery, but this is an important step in ensuring that
the fire departments in St. Bernard Parish can operate effectively," said
Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

Tony Russell, acting director of FEMA's Louisiana Transitional Recovery
Office, noted FEMA's help in the rebuilding of the parish's fire stations
and added, "The recent funding that we have provided for the restoration of
the parish's fire hydrants will definitely support the fire department's
operations as they work to protect the citizens of St. Bernard." 

St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro said the parish is pleased for
FEMA's assistance in its recovery.

"With many of the obstacles related to the construction of our fire houses
having been resolved, we are pleased that our continued partnership with
FEMA and GOHSEP will allow us to comprehensively address the fire hydrant
component of our fire protection system," Taffaro said.