Parked hydrant
31.01. 2020
K inogans have known the scene at least since the Hollywood blockbuster 'Backdraft': Because If a car is forbidden to park in front of the hydrant, the pragmatic firefighter breaks in the side windows and unceremoniously puts the fire hose through the car. The cinema roars, justice is done. A typical Hollywood exaggeration? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. The firefighters in the city of Camden, New Jersey, can do that too. When they were in a hurry to fire extinguishers at the end of January 2020, they made short work of the side windows of an incorrectly parked minivan. He had blocked access to the hydrant. During the action, 'neither inmates nor firefighters were injured,' said the firefighters via Twitter. In addition to the 'Correctly so!' Comments to be expected, there is also a lot of criticism there. Because it would probably have actually been possible to lay the hose under the car. Or to lead him around. Such behavior is 'unprofessional and arrogant'.
Camden firefighters extinguished a fire at a occupied dwelling on the 400 block of Chambers St. CFD crews had to navigate thru vehicles blocking hydrants during the incident. No occupants or FFs were injured. @PFANJ_IAFF pic.twitter.com/yn0xg9fq8c
- Camden Fire Officers (@ CfdLocal2578) January 25, 2020
In Germany, the driver of the emergency vehicle is liable
Whatever: So much pragmatism always makes an impression and is largely due to laws and regulations in the USA Regulations covered: If an improperly parked vehicle hinders the emergency drive and is damaged by an emergency vehicle, then the vehicle is liableDriver /owner of the obstructing vehicle. In Germany, the legal situation is clear: If another car is damaged during an emergency drive, the emergency vehicle must stop at the scene of the accident and wait for the police to record the accident. The driver of the emergency vehicle is liable under private law and with his own driver's license! In practice this means: The actual operation has to wait, or lifesaving help has to be extensively re-alerted.
However, according to an active firefighter, parked hydrants are hardly a problem for us. In Germany underground hydrants are predominantly in use, which can be reached via manhole covers in the middle of the street. For German fire brigades, blocked residential streets, blocked fire brigade driveways and cross-parking small cars that dangerously restrict the minimum passage width of three meters are much worse.
