No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCountry Has Shortage Of Fire Hydrants

Country Has Shortage Of Fire Hydrants

Only half of the country’s 5,000 fire hydrants work, and an additional 5,000 hydrants are needed to meet the country’s needs, firemen told the daily Al Día.

 

Twelve communities have no fire hydrant, including Santa Bárbara de Heredia, north of San José; San Rafael de Alajuela, northwest of San José; León XIII in Tibás in north San José, and Paracito de Moravia, northeast of San José.

 

The major problem is that no single agency exists to install and maintain hydrants, which fall victim to lack of maintenance and vandals.

 

Installing a large hydrant costs ¢2 million ($4,024) and the cost of a smaller hydrant, for a residential community, is ¢500,000 ($1,006), the daily reported. The ideal would be to have hydrants 300 meters apart.

 

The National Water and Sewer Service (AyA) said its duty is to provide water to the hydrants for free, not install them. Those that do exist were installed through community initiatives with the support of municipalities and firefighters, according to Al Día.

 

Exacerbating Costa Rica’s fire danger is the reality that many communities have no fire station, including popular and fast-growing tourist towns of Tamarindo, in the northwest province of Guanacaste, Puerto Viejo, on the Caribbean slope, and La Fortuna, near Arenal Volcano (TT,May 27, 2005).

 

Costa Rica has only 61 fire stations, or one for every 65,838 inhabitants, according to the National Insurance Institute (INS).

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Costa Rica to Launch Electric Air Taxis for Sustainable Travel in Guanacaste

Costa Rica is poised to revolutionize its transportation landscape with the introduction of electric air taxis, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional ground travel...

2025 Gold Cup: Honduras Advances After Dramatic Shootout, Mexico Ends Goal Drought

Honduras, with a surprising and dramatic penalty shootout victory over Panama, and Mexico, with a lackluster win against Saudi Arabia, advanced Saturday to the...

Costa Rican Court Orders Release of Migrants Deported Under Trump Deal

A court on Tuesday ordered Costa Rican authorities to release foreign migrants who had been detained in a shelter after being deported under an...

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica