Where does the water come from to fight fires?
Water is usually taken from the local water supply source in the area. This water is easily accessible in urban areas through fire hydrants and flush plugs. In more rural areas, fire hydrants are still available but are usually located great distances from each other. Water can also be used from swimming pools or lakes and ponds; this water poses a danger to fire engine pumps because of the chemicals used in swimming pools and unknown hazards in natural bodies of water, but in an emergency situation they may be used. A small pool, known as a “dump tank” is a common method of supplying water in Alcorn County. A dump tank is a portable tank carried on the fire engine that can be set up at an emergency scene. Fire department tanker trucks, that are capable of transporting thousands of gallons of water, shuttle the needed water from a nearby fire hydrant to the dump tank to keep a constant supply of water to the firefighters.
