Protecting Rural America's Landmarks - Vermont's Quechee Gorge Village
By President Mark Davis
June 30, 2012
During our travels in Vermont, we came across a rustic, shopping and retail complex located in a rural area near White River Junction (Hartford). The complex is located near the Quechee Gorge Village and houses a number of small retailers in a large wooden structure. The structure is protected by an automatic sprinkler system that uses a 4-inch Storz fitting as the FDC.
In recent years, we have certainly seen an increase in the use of LDH fittings as FDCs throughout the USA - especially in the Northeastern part of the country.
Kudos to the folks in Hartford, VT for being pro-active and requiring the use of the Storz FDCs.
The fire department connection (FDC) is a critical feature of an automatic sprinkler system. An FDC needs to be accessible and easy to use if a pumper driver is to find it and support in all types of weather and during all times of the day.
Without an automatic sprinkler system, this large, retail structure would most certainly suffer huge losses from a fire. Protecting rural landmarks and businesses from fire is vital to community interests and the local economy.
The FDC for this structure is set-up to "do business!" With the local FD using 4-inch LDH, this connection makes the water supply operation a simple one.
