Why are the fire hydrant caps sometimes referred to as “fire plugs” or “johnny pumps” ?
Johnny pumps are the name sometimes used in New York City. The name fire plugs dates back to the early days when an underground water line near the fire was dug up. A hole was drilled into the pipe to have acess to the water and afterwards the pipe was plugged. In the early 1800’s various devices were located above ground and connected to the underground water line to make the water available for fighting the fire. These devices gave rise to the current fire hydrants.
