During a special work session in August of last year, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved spending $200,000 to install fire hydrants in the county and, on Thursday, June 1 of this year, the board voted to enter into an agreement with the City of High Point to do just that.
The official stated purpose of the move is to make “improvements to water infrastructure supporting fire protection services in southwest Guilford County along Highway 62.”
In order to do so, Guilford County has now entered into an interlocal agreement with High Point to install 11 fire hydrants in the Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire District on the water line that runs from Randleman Lake to High Point.
The money is federal money coming from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 – also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package.
The hydrants will be placed along the highway at Drake Road, Tomball Road, Groometown Road and other junctions – with additional hydrants being put, among other places, near the intersection of Hickory Road and Groometown Road and the intersection of Kivett Drive and Chipmunk Drive.
For decades county officials have discussed the need to broaden county fire departments’ access to water for fire suppression and – especially in the more rural parts of the county – more fire hydrants and accessible water sources have been pursued.
Summerfield, in the county’s northwest, is one town that constantly discusses adding a water system for fire suppression. However, in that town, many see a water system as a stealthy way of creating infrastructure for more development that some residents of that town adamantly oppose.
This article is one of the best headlines ever even though it makes no sense and has nothing to do with chipmunks.